1,100 emergencies per day in Albania, Brataj: 10% of heat, cardiac problems predominate

 Skënder Brataj in his office in a public release (archive)

 About 1,100 calls for medical help are made every day to the number 127 of the Emergency in Albania.

The director of the national emergency, Skender Brataj, says that about 10-11% of emergencies are affected by high temperatures, Brataj says in his official social profile.

"If in January there were 85 disorders related to pressure reduction, dehydration, they reach 101 cases in July" - he said.

The most affected by high temperatures are the elderly and children.

"Children and the elderly are more at risk due to the fact that the body has a protective mechanism. In children, they are not well developed, while in the elderly, they are slowed down" - said Brataj.

After heat emergencies, cardiac problems continue to prevail throughout Albania.

"If we put a pyramid of pathology, cardiology is in first place with 35%" - he added.

4,500 visits are registered per week in the 30 summer health centers spread throughout the country. When the African heat wave has started to affect Albania, doctors recommend being careful with exposure to the sun, as well as healthy nutrition. Although in Albania there is no life lost as a result of the heat, the white shirts say that every day there are fatalities, which can be influenced by weather factors.