France stung by extreme heat, hospitals overwhelmed as death toll rises

The drought that hit made the sun shine brightly. (Maxime Bhm-Unsplash)

JAKARTA - French Health Minister Stephanie Rist revealed that the extreme heat wave that hit her country increased the number of deaths from usual.

"The extreme heat of the past few days has had a delayed impact, especially on vulnerable people but also on some younger people, who are finally admitted to the emergency room five to 10 days after the heat wave," Rist told the newspaper La Tribune, quoted by AFP, Sunday, June 28.

"We see indicators that the death toll is likely to be higher than at the same time last year," he continued.

French authorities said on Thursday that hospitals in and around the capital Paris had reached "saturation point".

However, Rist warned that the overwhelmed state of hospitals facing this situation would continue even after the extreme heat in France dropped.

He explained that the heat wave effect for patients with chronic diseases "can last for several weeks."

"However, providing reliable figures takes time. Only 60 percent of death certificates are issued electronically. We have to wait for the paper certificate to come in," he said.

Rist admitted that he would provide details regarding the death toll from the extreme heat wave that hit France in the near future. "With full transparency using the most reliable numbers," he said.