First heat wave death announced in Minya: Health Ministry

CAIRO – 6 July 2017: A 30-year old woman died as a result of heat- stroke in Minya governorate in Upper Egypt, according to a Ministry of Health statement issued on Wednesday evening.

The woman was transferred to Minya Hospital and announced dead due to circulatory collapse.

A scorching heat wave has hit the country over the past week, with the temperature reaching highs of 42 degrees Celsius in Cairo.

Dr. Amr Kandil, head of Preventive Medicine Department, said that the case was received yesterday at Minya Fever Hospital, suffering from coma and high temperature due to exposure to direct sunlight for long periods.

The necessary medical procedures were taken by the treating doctors, added the statement.

Kandil added that heat exhaustion occurs as a result of the body's loss of a large amount of fluids and salt depletion when exposed to heat for prolonged periods of time, especially when the body is doing hard work, leading to a disturbance in the functions of the body.

The Minister of Health and Population, Dr. Ahmed Emad El-Din Rady, has instructed to raise the degree of readiness in all hospitals to maximum, in conjunction with the heat wave that is currently hitting Egypt.

He pointed out that a plan was developed to coordinate with hospitals, the Central Administration for Critical and Urgent Care, and both the Ambulance department and Preventive Sector to deal with any cases of heat exhaustion.