On July 31, 2024, citizens exhausted from the heat take bottled water from the refrigerator installed in Peace Park in the Nam-gu district of Busan. /Courtesy of Chosun DB

As summer heat waves intensify, the number of heat-related illness patients has reportedly increased fourfold over the past five years, leading to a surge in emergency medical service calls. More than half of the patients are aged 60 and above.

According to the emergency response status report on heat waves released by the National Fire Agency on the 25th, there were 686 emergency calls for heat-related illnesses in 2020. This number has rapidly increased each year, reaching 3,164 last year. The number of patients transported to hospitals also rose from 646 in 2020 to 2,698 in 2024.

The number of patients with heat-related illness dispatched and transported. /Courtesy of the Fire Department

Examining the age distribution of heat-related illness patients last year, 52.3% were aged 60 and older. Regions with a high percentage of elderly patients included North Gyeongsang Province (64.6%), South Gyeongsang Province (61.3%), Seoul (57.0%), North Jeolla Province (55.7%), and South Chungcheong Province (55.2%).

Of the total emergency calls made last year, 1,829 cases (58%) occurred in August. This was followed by 685 cases in July, 331 cases in September, 278 cases in June, and 41 cases in May. By time of day, calls were most frequent between '12 p.m. and 3 p.m.' (32.6%) and '3 p.m. to 6 p.m.' (31.0%).

To minimize loss of life due to this summer’s heat wave, the National Fire Agency plans to equip all 1,660 emergency ambulances nationwide with heat wave emergency equipment, including ice packs (vests), salt, water sprays, and electrolyte solutions.

In cases where ambulance dispatch is difficult, 1,429 'Pumbulance' units will be deployed. The term Pumbulance is a combination of fire pump trucks (Pump) and ambulances (Ambulance). These fire pump trucks are equipped with emergency equipment such as automated external defibrillators (AEDs), and are staffed by qualified personnel, including nurses, emergency medical technicians, and trained first responders.

Yoo Byeong-wook, head of the National Fire Agency's 119 Emergency Medical Services, said, 'During the strong sunlight hours of the day, I hope people will avoid outdoor activities and practice heat wave preparedness measures, such as staying hydrated.'