Record heat in Lombardy: Over 11,000 emergency room visits

Yesterday's record heat resulted in over 11,000 emergency room visits in Lombardy, of which just under 30% were transported by 118. The most critical situations were concentrated in the provinces of Pavia, Cremona and Mantua and in the Varesotto area. Over 9,000 calls were processed by the single care continuity number (116 117) between Saturday and Sunday. "We are overcoming the emergency but we must not let our guard down, because sudden and very violent storms are expected in the next few days. There is no respite, but these are the climatic trends to which we must get used", comments the regional councilor for Welfare, Guido Bertolaso, who thanks "doctors, nurses, staff of the healthcare professions and operators of Areu and hospitals, both public and private, who work day and night in critical conditions". In recent days, continues Bertolaso, the number of calls and accesses to the emergency room was equal to that of the end of July 2022, one of the hottest years. "The emergency system passed the test - claims Bertolaso ​​- and the network held up very well: there were no significant delays in rescue operations thanks also to the device we set up and which, despite the weekend and the summer period, saw a greater number of men and vehicles in the field". This morning, at 8.00, emergency vehicle missions recorded an increase (compared to the same time, on the same day of the previous week) of 9% in the Lakes Area, 3% in the Metropolitan Area and 15% in the Plains Area (Pavia, Cremona and Mantua), while in the Alpine Area there was a decrease of 2%. In particular, as regards the Plain Area, 15% of calls concern cardiac pathologies, a percentage which rises to 30% in the Alpine Area.