Hospital admissions during ‘Lucifer’ heatwave higher than average

The number of individuals admitted to the Emergency Department at Mater Dei Hospital during the heatwave that struck Europe over the past days was slightly higher than usual.

A spokesperson for the Ministry for Health confirmed that in these last few weeks, Mater Dei Hospital had seen heightened activity. The spokesperson said that the higher intake of patients was not necessarily directly related to the heatwave.

Between 12 and 25 July, when the first heatwave struck, the accident and emergency department (A&E) at Mater Dei admitted no less than 5,677 patients. On average, during this week, the A&E saw 405 patients a day.

For the second wave of high temperatures, between 26 July and 8 August, the emergency department had to deal with an even larger number of patients – a total of 5,832. This number is equivalent to some 416 patients a day.

The spokesperson explained that the daily average number of patients at Mater Dei Hospital’s emergency department stood at 377, slightly lower than the intake registered during these particular two weeks. This average was calculated based on the year 2016.

The heat also led to other issues, this time related to foodborne illnesses. Between June and July this year, 25 cases of salmonella were registered at Mater Dei Hospital.

Heatwave ‘Lucifer’ also affected electricity demand and sea temperatures. This newspaper had reported how the heatwave caused an alltime high in electricity demand. The electricity load peaked at a staggering 460 megawatts – 13 megawatts higher than the peak reached two weeks ago.

Not even the Mediterranean Sea could keep up with the scorching heat. Marine biologist and expert Alan Deidun had explained how the high sea temperatures will drastically affect marine life with the migration of some fish and the introduction of alien species.