In many major hospitals, the number of hospitalizations related to heatstroke such as heatstroke, heat shock, dehydration, high blood pressure, stroke... tends to increase. Many cases have to be transferred to emergency care in serious condition due to prolonged exposure to high temperatures or outdoor work not being properly protected. This reality shows that heatstroke is no longer simply a weather phenomenon, but has become a noteworthy health risk factor.
After only a few hours of sunbathing or working outdoors, many patients have fallen into a state of exhaustion, consciousness disorders, and even multiple organ failure. What is worrying is that hot weather not only causes simple heat shock but also worsens existing underlying diseases. Dehydration, blood concentration, increased cardiovascular burden and thermoregulatory disorders make the disease progression faster and more unpredictable.
In that context, medical facilities are having to "race" with temperatures to both ensure medical examination and treatment and minimize the impact of hot weather on patients. In the examination area, many hospitals have proactively adjusted admission hours earlier, increased examination tables, arranged more waiting chairs and fans, and misting or air conditioning systems in crowded areas. Some places also organize traffic diversion, limiting crowded situations...
The team of doctors and medical staff also strengthens propaganda and guidance for people to prevent heat-related diseases: Drink enough water, limit going out during peak hours, wear cool clothes, use sunscreen and recognize early signs of heat shock for timely treatment. From the perspective of preventive medicine, prolonged heat demands raising community awareness. People, especially outdoor workers, need to protect their health, avoid being subjective leading to serious consequences, even threatening their lives.
In the long term, climate change is considered the cause of intense and prolonged heat waves. This requires not only the health sector but also the urban management system, labor, and environment to have more synchronous solutions: From green space planning, improving outdoor working conditions, to strengthening early warnings of extreme weather.
The heatwave will pass, but the lessons about the adaptability of the health system and community health awareness are still valuable. Faced with increasingly harsh weather, the proactiveness of functional agencies and people is an important "shield" to help reduce health risks in the summer.
