Heat wave in India: High temperatures affect the elderly

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Days of sweltering heat and power outages in northern India overwhelm hospitals as the death toll rises. Reporting by Debbie Edward

Lyrics by Sanjay Jha and Sanjana C in New Delhi for ITV News

Severe heatwaves swept across northern India, killing more than 140 people and hospitalizing hundreds of others.

Most of the victims are elderly citizens of rural villages in northern India in the most populous states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

The heatwave is unforgiving on the elderly population of small villages that do not have a continuous electrical supply to keep the air conditioning units on all day long.

Medical facilities are overwhelmed. Credit: A.P

“My 93-year-old grandfather was sitting on a chair and suddenly he collapsed,” said Yashraj Singh, a resident of Karihara village in Palia town in Uttar Pradesh.

“My grandfather did not suffer from any disease but he was feeling very uncomfortable because of the high temperature and on top of that there is hardly electricity, so life is not easy.”

Deaths among those over the age of 60 are increasing, especially among those suffering from “respiratory and other diseases that are increasing,” said Dr P. P. Tiwari, the local health officer in Azamgarh district.

Outpatient departments of local hospitals have reported a significant rise in cases related to heatstroke, high fever, and breathing problems with the mercury crossing above 40°C.

Hospitals have installed air coolers in patient wards.

Dehydration, high fever, and gastrointestinal upset are major problems for these heat-affected patients.

“Patients with heatstroke, high fever, skin and breathing problems are arriving in large numbers and some are being admitted to the wards,” said Dr. Manish Mandal of the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) in the state capital of Patna Bihar. .

People queuing to see a doctor in Uttar Pradesh. Credit: A.P

He added, “The number of kidney failure patients suddenly jumped by 10 percent, mainly due to high temperature, which caused an imbalance in electrolytes, and all of these cases require urgent hospitalization.”

Although heatwave alerts have been issued, locals remain largely ignorant of the looming threat.

Poor healthcare facilities in these rural areas also exacerbate the suffering of these people. The overcrowded emergency ward is a horrific sight, with dead bodies and suffering patients vying for limited space.

“It was an agonizing wait of more than 24 hours to get medical attention for my elderly family member,” said Vikas Pandey, who brought in his heatstroke relative.

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