Hospitals in the north are overloaded from a huge increase in the number of patients, mostly children and old people, who have fallen ill due to the on-going heat wave.

Child patients waiting at the National Hospital of Paediatrics

The National Hospital of Paediatrics receives around 3,000 patients a day, an increase of 10-15% compared to normal. Other hospitals such as St. Pauls, Bach Mai in Hanoi have also seen an increase of child patients, mostly with diarrhoea or a respiratory infections.

The General Hospital of Ha Tinh Province is overloaded although the summer has just started. During the current hot spell, a seven months and three years-old children have died after being transferred into the hospital in the state of high fever.

Suffering from the heat, many primary and kindergarten students in Ha Tinh Province have also suffered from heatstroke and have to stay home. Dai Nai Primary School said they have four or five pupils ask to stay home.

According to the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting, average temperature in northern region and central coast will remain at 36-38 degree Celsius, with outdoor temperatures in several places possibly reaching 42-43 degree.

Le Thanh Hai, deputy director of the NCHMF said temperatures would start to fall a little to 35-36 degrees from tomorrow, and rain may occur after sunset.