The scorching weather is taking its toll on Shanghai residents, with a growing number of people seeking treatment for heat stroke, say health officials.
One of two patients sent to Shanghai Fengxian District Central Hospital after fainting in the heat last week has died.
The 46-year-old woman fainted on the side of a road on Thursday at about 2pm and lay there for three hours before being found by pedestrians and sent to hospital.
She was diagnosed with severe heat stroke, multiple organ failure, heart failure, respiratory failure, pulmonary edema, brain edema and shock. She died two days later.
Shanghai Songjiang District Central Hospital yesterday treated an elderly woman for severe heat stroke. She is in serious condition in the intensive care unit, the hospital said.
Another patient suffering from severe heat stroke, a 66-year-old woman who fainted at home, is still unconscious and in critical condition, according to the hospital.
Local hospitals have reported an increase in patient numbers and at least 10 of the city's major hospitals are treating over 10,000 people per day.
Zhongshan Hospital said it has seen a 20 to 30 percent increase in the number of emergency cases, but its overall patient numbers have not increased significantly.
The city's hospitals have taken different measures to tackle the big influx of patients.
Ruijin Hospital, which has seen a 30 percent increase in patients since July 1, has put more medics on duty during its peak hours — 7am to 9am and 6pm to 10pm — and is providing vehicles to ferry patients and their families between buildings in the scorching heat.
The mercury hit 39.5 degrees Celsius yesterday, slightly lower than Saturday's high of 40 degrees.
