Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Moussa Diarra
Published on 2024-04-08 11:00:07
In the courtyard of the Gabriel Touré University Hospital (CHU) in Bamako
Bamako, April 8 (AMAP) The Gabriel Touré University Hospital (CHU) in Bamako, Mali, recorded 102 deaths from April 1 to 4, with 60% of the victims being over 60 years old, medical sources announced.
These statistics, provided by the Emergency Reception Department (SAU) of Gabriel Touré Hospital, compared to the 130 deaths recorded for the entire month of April in 2023, call for action to prevent a catastrophe.
The situation is not much better in other healthcare facilities as the country experiences a heatwave. The felt temperatures are often very high. The thermometer shows an average of 40 to 45 degrees Celsius in the capital city and even higher in other parts of the country. This extreme heat is believed to be the cause of many deaths, especially among the elderly, aged 60 and over.
The extent of the situation raises legitimate concerns, but also leads to misconceptions on social media. Unscrupulous individuals post numbers that are far from reality.
The Gabriel Touré University Hospital, in line with sharing accurate information, held a press conference last Friday to explain the current situation in order to dispel false rumors.
Gabriel Touré Hospital aims to raise awareness among the population about the risks faced during this period of intense heat, especially by vulnerable individuals, particularly those aged 60 and over, as well as young children, and the measures to take to prevent heatstroke.
The conference was led by the head of the Department of Emergency Medicine and Anesthesiology-Intensive Care, Dr. Diango Mahamane Djibo. The hospital practitioner emphasized in his introductory speech that these deaths should not be attributed to the heatwave.
He maintains a rational mindset and simply believes that studies are needed to identify the real causes of these numerous deaths often observed upon arrival at the hospital.
The speaker also explains that 60% of the people who died during the first four days of April were over 60 years old. According to him, at this age, these individuals are sometimes weakened by chronic illnesses such as diabetes and high blood pressure, among others. “We are in a heatwave period which exacerbates these illnesses in patients,” emphasizes Dr. Diango Mahamane Djibo. The anesthesiologist-reanimator also points out that young children are also very sensitive to heat because they do not have sufficient water in their bodies to cope with extreme temperatures.
The doctor also notes that when the ambient temperature rises, the body activates several mechanisms to lower the temperature. “If its defense capacity is exceeded, it leads to a water deficit. The secondary effects of this dehydration include significant fatigue, headaches, nausea, and loss of consciousness,” he lists.
Due to this heatwave, Dr. Djibo mentions that the number of patients visiting his department had reached over 100 per day three days ago, compared to an average of 70.
He advises the population, especially the elderly and young children, to follow preventive measures, such as avoiding very hot environments, seeking shade, and drinking water. The speaker simply advises against giving ice-cold water to a person whose temperature is rising. According to the emergency medicine specialist, the correct approach is to provide warm water in small amounts at short intervals for rehydration.
Other healthcare facilities are overwhelmed as well. Hospital staff are providing care everywhere to try to relieve families rushing in with their sick loved ones. Some arrive too late and are classified as Deaths upon Arrival (DCA). The lucky ones are immediately attended to.
At the Mali hospital, for example, a medical source, “without going into the numbers game,” confirms that there are many deaths because the capacity of the morgue has been exceeded.
This hospital source simply explains that a report has been submitted to the Minister of Health and Social Development.
In the Point G hospital, the situation is the same. In this healthcare facility, 34 Deaths upon Arrival (DCA) and 26 deaths in the emergency department were recorded during the week of April 1 to 6.
At the Kati hospital, the experience was similar. According to a hospital source, the facility recorded 19 Deaths upon Arrival (DCA) and an equal number of bodies directly deposited in the morgue during the week.
MDD/MD (AMAP)
Read the original article(French) on AMAP
