Soaring temperatures and heat wave conditions have resulted in at least 140 heat stroke cases in the Pune circle, which includes Pune, Satara and Solapur, from March 1 till date. Health authorities said that Solapur had the highest number of heat stroke cases (91) followed by Satara (31) and Pune(18).
According to health department records, there were as many as 1.60 lakh patients who visited the emergency casualty department at government-run hospitals across Pune, Satara and Solapur from March 1 till date. Of these, 1.38 lakh patients were from Pune while 18,278 were from Satara and 3,524 from Solapur.
Dr Ravindra Chhajed, a general physician who runs a 20-bed nursing home, said that they were treating at least 4-5 people in the Out Patient Department. “The complaints range from being unable to work properly, to giddiness, nausea, leg pain and calf tenderness,” says Dr Chhajed.
When hospitalisation is advised most patients however prefer to go to small dispensaries for administering common IV fluids like saline for dealing with hydration needs, the doctor said.
According to Dr Raju Varyani, general physician and president of the Indian Medical Association, Pune city, abdominal cramp was also a common complaint during the season. “We are seeing more cases with heat exhaustion this summer and one of the complaints is abdominal pain. Loose motion is a common symptom,” said the doctor.
The doctor has advised the to avoid ice in juices at food stalls. The quality of ice at times can be questionable, he adds. Upper respiratory tract infections are also common and hydration and rest is advised.
While precautionary measures and guidelines have been rolled out, and advisories have been issued on when and how to avoid exposure to heat, the extreme conditions have taken a toll on several working professionals in the city. “The maximum temperatures have remained in the range of 40-41 degree Celsius. Over the last few days despite being properly hydrated I faced problems after stepping out in the scorching sun. Other than headaches I had a low-grade fever and severe exhaustion also,” says 30-year-old Ritwik, an IT professional who stays in Nigdi.
The people who are most exposed to the sun and vulnerable populations are the worst impacted, according to authors of a recent study. Dr Suryakant Deokar, Assistant Medical Officer, Pune Municipal Corporation, told The Indian Express that till date there have been no major hospitalizations due to heat-related illness. He, however, said that people have been treated on an OPD basis.
