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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/18/italian-hospitals-report-rise-in-heat-cases-as-rome-hits-41-point-8c>
"Hospitals across Italy have seen a sharp rise in the number of people seeking
emergency care for heat-related illnesses as a heatwave continues to grip the
country, with temperatures in Rome setting a new record.
Some hospitals reported a 20-25% increase in the numbers arriving at emergency
units suffering from dehydration or other illnesses caused by overexposure to
the heat.
Temperatures in Rome hit 41.8C on Tuesday, breaking the previous record of
40.7C set in June 2022. Sicily reached about 41C and there were highs of 45C in
Sardinia.
In the southern city of Naples, the Cardarelli hospital said 231 patients had
accessed emergency care there within the last 24 hours – the equivalent of one
patient every six minutes and the highest daily number since the coronavirus
pandemic in 2020.
Most of the patients were elderly, some of them from residential homes.
However, people of all ages, including tourists, have been seeking care.
“We are experiencing an extremely delicate moment,” said Antonio d’Amore, the
hospital’s director general. Of those who were admitted on Monday, 2% were in a
serious condition and 38% were in a moderately critical condition.
“Given the criticality of the moment, I ask citizens to contact the Cardarelli
emergency room only in cases of real need,” d’Amore said. “Now we must devote
our energies to those who really need care.”
Italy’s health ministry has placed 23 cities including Rome, Florence, Bologna,
Bari, Catania, Cagliari, Palermo and Turin on “red alert”, a measure that means
the heat is so intense it is considered to pose a threat to the health of the
entire population, not just children and elderly people.
The ministry urged people to dress in linen, avoid venturing outside during the
hottest hours and cut out alcohol, coffee and fizzy drinks."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
