Hanoi hospital sees emergency cases rise amid heatwave

Dang Tuan Dung, a doctor at the A9 Emergency Centre of Bach Mai Hospital, said on May 26 that the department normally receives around 250 patients each day but had recently seen daily admissions rise to about 300 during the extreme heat.

According to Dung, the number of patients hospitalised for heat-related conditions has increased by around 20-30 per cent.

“Most patients are young adults and working-age people brought in with symptoms such as exhaustion and excessive sweating. Some suffer heatstroke with dangerously high body temperatures,” he said.

“In more severe cases, patients arrive unconscious or experiencing seizures.”

Dung cited the case of a male construction worker who was rushed to the emergency centre on May 25 after collapsing while working outdoors in the intense heat.

Doctors diagnosed him with rhabdomyolysis, a condition involving muscle breakdown, along with severe dehydration and acute kidney injury caused by fluid loss.

After emergency treatment, including fluid replacement, body temperature control and treatment for acute muscle damage, the patient’s condition improved significantly.

Other heat-related admissions involved elderly patients and people with underlying health conditions, for whom extreme heat can worsen existing illnesses.

Dung warned residents to avoid spending long periods outdoors during peak heat hours amid the current severe weather conditions.

For those who must work or travel outside, especially around midday and early afternoon, he advised wearing hats and sun-protective clothing, using physical cooling measures and replenishing fluids and electrolytes, including oral rehydration solutions.

Hanoi recorded the country’s highest temperature on May 25-26 as northern Vietnam faced severe heatwaves.

Vietnam’s National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said northern and central regions experienced extreme heat on May 25-26, with temperatures in many areas reaching 37-40 degrees Celsius by 1 pm.