French health official quits

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by DanS
I seem to remember over 1,000 dieing in Philadelphia (?) in a heat wave a couple of years ago.

It was 750+ in Chicago, 1996. Worst heat-wave deaths in modern times in the US. Killed my cat, though not right away. She got dehydrated during the worst day, and I had to give her tuna juice just to get her to drink. After the heat wave broke, she lost half her weight and was skeletal for about ten months when she finally died.

[JohnT]

You know, I've gotta wonder if you can be considered a "First World" country while having thousands die because of the heat.

[DAVOUT]

Originally posted by JohnT
You know, I've gotta wonder if you can be considered a "First World" country while having thousands die because of the heat.

Although impressing, this figure does not exceed the number of people murdered EVERY YEAR in a country proud to belong to the First World.

[Spiffor]

Indeed, we can wonder if Chicago belongs to the "first world" as well
A heatwave always kills loads. It quickens the death of those already old or sickly, it favors dehydration for people who are tired of life on inconscious of what's happening... And that's the same in every country where people live long enough to die of the heat.

The only "third world" thing that we can deduce from this tragedy is the terrible state of our retirement homes. Indeed, the situation in these things is dire, and I suppose it was even worse during the vacation, with the reduced staff.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by DAVOUT
Although impressing, this figure does not exceed the number of people murdered EVERY YEAR in a country proud to belong to the First World.

That was a better answer than mine

[DAVOUT]

All this has to be analyzed meticulously. The main reason for those deaths is not the heat; thirty years ago, the same heat would not have had those consequences, because the life expectancy was much shorter. Now the life expectancy is 82, and still increasing, which produces many aged people (whose number is expected to double in the next 7 years).

The only sure thing is that the next heat wave will result in more deaths of aged people.

BTW, the life expectancy of the French women is the longest in Europe, and possibly in the world. The reason for that is of course the French lovers ...

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Spiffor
Indeed. Air Conditioning is very nearly inexitent in private homes

Why? The same system can warm you in the winter (It does get cold there right?) as well as cool you in the summer.

[mindseye]

Originally posted by Olaf HÃ¥rfagre


He couldn't take the heat?

[mindseye]

Originally posted by DanS
As I understand it, France doesn't have much air conditioning? If this is so, a lot of old people will die in heat waves such as this. Unfortunate, but a fact of life nonetheless. You can do small things to help, but as I understand it, this kind of heat wave doesn't happen too often in France.

Level-headed post as usual, DanS.

Recently I read an article (NYTimes?) about the French and a/c. You are quite correct. Traditional French thinking was that a/c was unnatural and unhealthy (some Chinese believe this, too), and that it was better to use things like fans.

However, the article said, home sales of a/c units had recently started climbing due to increased exposure to a/c in the office and in private autos.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
Why? The same system can warm you in the winter (It does get cold there right?) as well as cool you in the summer.

We use heating rather than air conditioning for that. Actually, in every private home I went in Europe, you could clearly see heaters pretty much everywhere.

[VetLegion]

You probably mean central heating with radiators. Sometimes a building has central heating, sometimes entire neighbours get heated by a nearby powerplant?


Anyway, there was a short report about this on CNN (europe) an hour or so ago. Some nasty pictures of a hospital crowded with old people lying half dead, mouth open a little.

You know, what kind of people leave their folks like that? They said most of these old people have families who are on vacations somewhere on the coast. If that's true, it is really sad.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by VetLegion
You know, what kind of people leave their folks like that? They said most of these old people have families who are on vacations somewhere on the coast. If that's true, it is really sad.

Yep, some people are on vacation, some other are working away from their folks (typical case is the parents leaving far from Paris and the children working in Paris or another big city).

I'd assume things have begun to change, now that the olds' loneliness has been clearly accused by the media. However, that's too late for too many people

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
What can one expect from the dumbass French?
The health official behaved in a manner consistent with French ideals.
He quit. At least he started.

O, yes, a career in the diplomatic corps awaits!

Perhaps like that (apocryphal) American diplomat, you could persuade Israel and the Arab League to settle their differences like good Christians....

Ah, Slowwhand. Proof that you can lead a boor to culture but can't make him think.

[LDiCesare]

1) What could the government have done differently that would have muted this criticism before hand?

The government (this one and the previous ones by the way) hasn't listened to the doctors, nurses, etc. which results in our having less and less medical personel.
Additionnally, they issued measures to reduce the deficit of the social security (welfare) system. This results in penalizing nurses who provide care to old people at home, and such care saved lives.
Overall, the reaction to the crisis wasn't good but it's hard to blame it. The previous decisions not to take care of the medical system, closing some hospitals, reducing the expenses despite the fact people age and need more medical care to live old, can be blamed.

[Kaak]

i don't understand. 5000 people dead from temps less than 105F ? that is common here, and you don't here of too many people dying...