400+ medical emergencies recorded in state, 100+ in Ahmedabad

New Delhi: With lakhs of electors out to exercise their franchise in searing heat, Tuesday was a busy day for EMRI 108 ambulances in the state. At 43.3°C, Ahmedabad was among the nine cities and towns in the state that recorded temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius, taking a toll on voters.

According to data from the emergency services, till 8 pm, the paramedics had attended to 400 cases of heat-related ailments from the state, of which 100 were from Ahmedabad alone.

Surekha Rohit, 40, a resident of Jashodanagar in Maninagar, was returning home from the polling booth at noon when she fainted on the road. The locals offered her water and moved her to a shaded place before calling the ambulance. "She was shifted to LG hospital in an EMRI 108 ambulance for primary treatment," said Harshad Patel, a social worker from Amraiwadi.

At the polling booths, officials on duty repeatedly appealed to the voters to stand in the shade and keep themselves hydrated while waiting for their turn to vote. The impact of heat was evident in the afternoon hours as voting almost came to a standstill across the state with people choosing to remain indoors.

"In Ahmedabad, a 54-year-old man fainted at Pankaj High School in Gulbai Tekra while a 52-year-old man complained of dizziness in Asarwa. A 25-year-old man collapsed at Shakti School in Chandlodia. All three were taken to nearby govt hospitals," said an EMRI 108 official.

"Elsewhere in Gujarat, a GSRTC employee was taken to a govt hospital in Vadodara after he complained of abdominal pain. An official on poll duty in Vadodara was also moved to a hospital after he complained of respiratory issues. In Anand, a 26-year-old official was hospitalised after his blood pressure dropped," the official added.