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Heatwave drives more patients to emergency ward than accidents
According to a trainee doctor assisting in the emergency ward, for heat-related ailments, the patient’s vitals are checked first, and fluids are administered once the correct symptoms are diagnosed.
LUCKNOW: Amid soaring temperatures and a continued heatwave, the emergency wards of government hospitals are handling a large influx of patients with heat-related ailments.
Records of emergency cases at Lok Bandhu Shri Raj Narayan Hospital over the past few days reveal that the unrelenting heat has been bringing more patients to the emergency ward than accidents. Since Sunday, over 90 patients with heat-related issues have reported in the emergency department, including 11 on Wednesday, which was three times more than the number of accident cases.
The emergency medical officer (EMO), in-charge of the emergency wards, Dr. R.S. Sengar, said that vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration were the most common symptoms of heatstroke, and a large number of patients were coming in with these symptoms.
The hospital handles approximately 400 emergency cases per day and witnessed a 30% rise in the number of patients this season. LBRN director Dr. Suresh Kaushal said that at least 25-30 heat-related cases were seen daily at Lok Bandhu Hospital. “The daily counts show that while the number of heat-related emergency cases is slowly declining, they still far exceed the number of accident cases,” he said.
According to a trainee doctor assisting in the emergency ward, for heat-related ailments, the patient’s vitals are checked first, and fluids are administered once the correct symptoms are diagnosed. “Depending on the seriousness of the case, we keep patients for observation for one or a maximum of two days. Milder cases are sent home with a prescription and instructions on how to protect themselves from the heat,” he said.
With patients lying on stretchers, crying family members hounding the EMO for answers about their kin’s ailments, police officers dropping in to enquire about medico-legal cases, and a team of 6 to 7 doctors to cater to them all, the pressure on the staff is evidently high. To add to that, Lok Bandhu Hospital is also seeing frequent power cuts for durations of 2 to 3 minutes until the generator kicks in - which is understandable causing a problem to those in the waiting areas.
Being the major government hospital in the Ashiana area, Lok Bandhu Shri Raj Narayan Hospital grappled with numerous issues, causing inconvenience to patients, visitors, and even the staff. Frequent power cuts also added to the misery of everyone.
According to the chief medical superintendent, Dr. Rajesh Srivastava of Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee (Civil) Hospital, the number of patients has risen by 25 to 30 cases daily due to heat-related issues. Balrampur Hospital is also experiencing a similar increase, with approximately 30 additional patients daily. CMS Himanshu Chaturvedi said that dysentery cases, which occur year-round and were often triggered by various seasons, had reached around 1,000 reported cases across government hospitals in the city.
