ON THE RISE: Emergency-room visits for heat-related illness this year have jumped 40 percent to 1,722 visits from 1,248 visits last year, ministry data showed

Taipei Times
Date: Jul 26, 2020
By: Lee I-chia / Staff Reporter

As reports of heat illness have increased due to high temperatures across the nation, an emergency-room physician said that four types of medicines might also contribute to increased risks of heat-related illness.

Wei Chih-wei (魏智偉), director of the emergency room at Tung General Hospital in Taichung, said that as many people are traveling and enjoying outdoor activities in the summer, they should take preventive measures to minimize the risk of heat-related illness, including heatstroke and heat exhaustion.

According to Ministry of Health and Welfare data, 181 emergency rooms have reported 659 visits for heat illness from July 1 to Friday, which is 1.8 times higher than the 370 visits reported in the same period last year.

As of Friday, 1,722 emergency-room visits for heat illness have been reported this year, which is about 40 percent higher than the 1,248 visits reported in the same period last year, the Health Promotion Administration (HPA) said in a news release yesterday.    [FULL  STORY]