Gujarat recorded more heat strokes during lockdown

AHMEDABAD: On Wednesday, Ahmedabad was fourth hottest weather station in Gujarat with maximum temperature of 43.2 degrees Celsius. On April 29, the city had recorded its decade-high 43.8 degrees Celsius and ever since, the city is experiencing high temperatures.
Ironically, the lockdown has failed to reduce the number of heat-related medical emergencies.Figures by EMRI 108 reveal that cases of heat stroke and abdominal pain have actually gone up whereas vomiting/diarrhoea cases have remained the same.

“Analysis of the figures show that last year in April the total number of heat stroke, the most telling heat-related emergency, was 15. Instead, this year, it got increased to 20,” said an EMRI official.
“Out of total, Ahmedabad and Rajkot each recorded four each, followed by 3 in Banaskantha, 2 in Surendranagar and one each in Amreli, Bharuch, Navsari, Patan, Surat, Vadodara and Valsad.”
Sources said that the affected included the health workers and police personnel on duty.
Dr Dileep Mavalankar, director of IIPH-Gandhinagar, said that the heat stroke could be exertional and non-exertional. “Those who are out in open and get exposed to sun for longer hours can surely be affected but for those inside the home, the ambient heat could play similar role,” he said. “My assumption is, the persons affected could be senior citizens or have comorbidity.”
City-based physicians said that they are seeing more patients of fever or Covid-19 symptoms these days. But a few symptoms such as feeling tired or abdominal pain could be attributed to rise in temperature even while remaining indoors. Dr Manoj Vithalani, a city-based physician, said that he sees a few patients with gastritis due to increased food intake and impact of heat. “But there is significant drop in heat-related cases as few persons are getting exposed to sun compared to normal years.”