DistantNews
Support us
Tunisian doctors demand health emergency declaration amid rising heat-related deaths
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Health & Science

Tunisian doctors demand health emergency declaration amid rising heat-related deaths

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Tunisia's Organization of Young Doctors (OTJM) is demanding the government declare a health emergency due to a surge in heat-related deaths.
  • The OTJM reports 13 deaths in the last 24 hours linked to extreme temperatures, with emergency services overwhelmed.
  • Doctors cite extreme heat, power outages, and water shortages as factors straining the healthcare system, criticizing the Health Ministry's "silence."

Tunisia's medical professionals are sounding the alarm over a dramatic increase in heat-related fatalities, urging the government to declare a state of health emergency. The Organization of Young Doctors of Tunisia (OTJM) has highlighted an "unprecedented increase in deaths" linked to soaring temperatures, which have gripped the nation with highs of up to 49 degrees Celsius inland and 47 degrees in the capital.

the association registered 13 deaths for causes linked to the high temperatures.

— Wajih DhokkarPresident of the Organization of Young Doctors of Tunisia (OTJM), reporting on recent fatalities.

While official figures on heat-related deaths are not yet available, the OTJM president, Wajih Dhokkar, stated that the organization recorded 13 deaths in the past 24 hours alone due to the extreme heat. He described emergency services as being "on maximum alert" and suffering from "extreme exhaustion" due to pressure exceeding the healthcare system's capacity. Dhokkar pointed to a hospital in Sfax where nearly 40 patients were in the intensive care unit, far exceeding the unit's 16-bed capacity.

medical and nursing staff suffer extreme exhaustion due to pressure that exceeds the capacity of the health system.

— Wajih DhokkarDescribing the strain on healthcare workers.

The doctors' organization criticized the Ministry of Health for its "silence" and accused some officials of deliberately withholding information from the public. This is not the first time the OTJM has called for a health emergency; a similar request was made in July without a government response. The situation has been exacerbated by recurring electricity cuts and severe water shortages that have persisted for two months, despite government assurances.

there are almost 40 people in the emergency intensive care unit in a service with capacity for 16 beds.

— Wajih DhokkarProviding an example of hospital overcrowding in Sfax.

The OTJM's demands underscore the severe strain on Tunisia's healthcare infrastructure, which is struggling to cope with the dual crises of extreme weather and essential service disruptions. The organization implores authorities to provide support to "save the population" amidst what they describe as a critical situation.

the silence of the Ministry of Health and the statements of some officials, who deliberately hide the truth from the Tunisian people about what is happening.

— Wajih DhokkarCriticizing the government's response and transparency.
About this summary

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

More Stories

From Our Blog