Heat wave: City death toll reaches 34

The municipal corporation run Vadilal Sarabai (VS) Hospital has reported the maximum number of heatstroke cases in last three days, with the total number of deaths reported at the hospital touching 11. The total number of deaths reported at the L G Hospital and Ahmedabad Civil Hospital is 10.

AMC Incharge Medical Officer Dr Bhavin Solanki said: “Six deaths from Shardaben Hospital are reported. On Monday five more deaths were reported from Shardaben and Civil Hospital.” Within the municipal corporation limits, around 170 heatstroke cases have been reported.

Dr Solanki said: “The maximum cases have been reported from Vadilal Sarabai Hospital: 77; L G Hospital: 26; Shardaben Hospital: 47; Civil Hospital: 22 and five heat stroke cases from private hospitals – Sardar Patel Hospital, Maninagar and Astha Hospital.”

V S Hospital Superintendent Dr M H Makawana said most of the patients are senior citizens, whose bodies are too weak to regulate the internal system arising out of the sudden and continuous rise in temperature. Youths generally suffer heatstroke due to physical exertion in the heat, he said.

The senior citizens are weak-bodied and fail to accustom to the sudden rise in temperature. A rise in the body temperature to 106 C leads to complications and bathing them in cool water is the only solution. 

Ice cubes are put around their body to bring down the temperature. We are also administering them saline to control dehydration,” Dr Makawana said.

In the Trauma Ward of V S Hospital, the resident doctors have tagged each bed with “heatstroke” label.

Abdul Rahim Hussain (85) is occupying one of the tagged beds. His son Mohammad Hussain says: “My father never goes out. He stays at home. Sar par bukhar chhad gaya hai (He has fever). We shifted him here five days ago, but he is still serious and has been kept on ventilator support.”

In the same ward, Dr Sandeep Patel is being administered saline. “It’s heatstroke. I was on duty for hours and then went out for a personal work. I was out in the sun for many hours. That could be a problem,” says Dr Patel.

Shankarlal Rajpurohit (50), a cook, was rushed for Sonography and check-up from Ward number-10 of the hospital. He said: “I cooked food at a marriage ceremony in Sanand. I did not eat that day. I was travelling in an autorickhaw and collapsed. The problem aggravated because I was continuously working in the heat and was not eating anything. I have been here for five days. Doctors applied ice on my body to bring down the temperature.”

Ibrahim Quereshi (70) from the Shahpur area suffered heatstroke owing to the extremely hot conditions inside his home. His daughter-in-law said: “Our house becomes very hot during summer. But we can’t do much as my husband is a labourer and earns only Rs 4,000. It is becoming difficult for us to manage his treatment here.” 

Ramesh Solanki, an accountant with the Gujarat Sate Transport Department, died of heatstroke on Monday. He had complained of dehydration and collapsed in the office. But transport officials refused to confirm the issue.