Some Indians struggle to cope as Delhi suffers its worse heatwave in nearly 75 years. Hundreds have died. Hospitals are providing special services to cool people down and save their lives.

New Delhi

Delhi is grappling with its worst heatwave in nearly 75 years, causing significant distress among its residents. The government has advised people to remain indoors, but many, like Mohammad Iftikhar and his family, have no choice but to stay on the streets. They travel from various parts of the country to access affordable medical treatment and end up living outside the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) due to lack of affordable accommodation.

Iftikhar’s children suffer from skin disorders that have exacerbated due to the intense heat, leading to the development of boils. This year’s prolonged heatwave is being attributed to a delayed monsoon and the El Niño phenomenon. In response, the government has directed hospitals to offer specialized care for heat stroke patients.

Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital has established a heat stroke emergency room equipped with advanced cooling technologies. According to Dr. Himanshu Sikri, they receive numerous patients suffering from heat stroke, particularly those working outdoors such as construction laborers and security guards. The most common symptom is extreme body temperature, sometimes reaching as high as 106 to 107 degrees Fahrenheit. Rapid cooling is essential to prevent organ failure in such critical cases.

Hospitals like Ram Manohar Lohia employ immersion cooling technology and other rapid cooling methods to save lives. Despite temporary relief from light rains, the high humidity continues to pose challenges. Iftikhar and his family seek shelter in subway stations or hospitals when the heat becomes unbearable. He hopes for his children’s recovery so he can either move back to his village or find work in the city to afford better shelter.



Hundreds die in Delhi heatwave

Delhi has been like a furnace for two months. The government has told people to stay indoors if they can. But Mohammad Iftikhar has no other choice than to be out on the streets. He has been staying on the pavement with his wife and children. He is one of thousands who travel to Delhi from all over the country every year to get affordable medical treatment at AIIMS, the topmost government hospital of India. Many end up living on the street outside because they are unable to afford any other accommodation. I have never seen the kind of heat I am seeing now. It's the reason I don't go out looking for work very often. I just focus on getting the treatment and taking care of my children. Iftikhar and his wife are here because their children need treatment for skin disorders. But staying in the heat has made matters worse. His little sons have developed boils on their skin due to the heat. They are now getting treated for these too. This is shaping up to be the longest and the worst heat wave Delhi has seen in the last 74 years. Experts are attributing this to a delayed monsoon and the El Nino phenomenon. Apart from giving regular health advisories to people, the government this year also directed hospitals to provide special care for heat stroke patients. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, another government hospital in Delhi, has created a heat stroke emergency room. Dr. Himanshu Sikri tells us that on days of peak heat, they get several patients with heat stroke. They are mostly people required to work outdoors like construction labourers or security guards. Most common symptom is the patient is semi-conscious, having a lot of body temperature, like the body temperature can be as high as 106 to 107 degree Fahrenheit. The ward is equipped with immersion cooling technology, a rapid ice generating machine and large ceramic tubs in which heat stroke patients are dunked in ice-cold water to bring down their body temperature. Dr. Sikri says, in a heat stroke situation, which also risks organ failure, rapid cooling of the body is the only way to save life. This kind of a situation has happened for the first time here and that too in a very exponential manner. Such patients are coming to us in large numbers. We have never seen such a number in the preceding years. Iftikhar brings his sons out as he sees the slight change in weather. Light rains in the city have brought temporary relief but also intense humidity. If it gets too hot for us, we either go and take shelter in the subway train station over there or go inside the hospital. We are trying to manage and protect our kids somehow. Iftikhar says he prays to God every day for his children to get better so he can either move back to his village or start looking for work here actively to be able to afford a shelter to protect them from Delhi weather.

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