As Kolkata sweltered at 42 degrees this month during the worst April heatwave ever seen in Asia, Calcutta Rescue took action to protect patients, staff and students.

Instead of making patients queue in the slums in the heat of the day to receive medication and other help, the street medicine teams switched to telemedicine, contacting them by phone and visiting them in the late afternoon.
They also provided the patients with supplies for a month in case the heatwave continued.

Stock distribution for the aid recipients - Photo: CRK

Where possible, staff were allowed to work flexibly as temperatures on the city's crowded buses and trains were much higher than outside, but the inpatient clinics remained open.

Staff were urged to take all possible precautions against the heat.
Nevertheless, some employees were affected by the extreme heat, but none suffered serious injuries.

"Several of our staff and their family members suffered from skin rashes, exhaustion and dehydration due to the extreme heat. However, thanks to proper treatment and the use of oral rehydration solutions (ORS), they were able to recover and continue their work," said Dr. Ghosh, the head of Calcutta Rescue's medical department.

Government schools in West Bengal were closed due to the heatwave and only recently reopened. Calcutta Rescue's schools remained open to provide a cool place for the 650 students, whose houses normally only have a plastic sheet as a roof. They were also given advice on how to protect themselves and given lemon water to drink.

Despite the heatwave: Consultation in the new Tangra Clinic - Photo: CRK

The heatwave that hit India, China, Thailand and Laos last week has been described by meteorologists as the worst Asian April heatwave ever.

However, March and April temperatures in Kolkata have risen in recent years - a worrying trend that suggests climate change is altering established weather patterns in the region.

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