Heatwave Strains Ambulance Services: Over 5,400 Call-Outs in București-Ilfov Over 4 Days

The heatwave is placing ever-increasing pressure on the Bucharest-Ilfov Ambulance Service (SABIF). Over the past four days, the number of call-outs has risen steadily as temperatures have climbed from one day to the next, according to Realitatea PLUS.

Over 5,400 call-outs in four days

SABIF's General Manager, Alis Grasu, presented a summary of the interventions: "I have statistics covering the past four days — four hot days, each hotter than the last. Across the Bucharest-Ilfov region, 5,465 people required an ambulance. The number was quite high: 3,574 of these call-outs were emergency cases — red code cases, meaning very serious, and yellow code cases, meaning serious."

Dozens of people lost consciousness in public spaces

A significant number of interventions involved people who fell ill whilst in public places, situations which the SABIF representative directly attributes to the high temperatures.

"There were also 472 people who were in a public place when they needed an ambulance. These cases can most likely be attributed to the high temperatures. Of these, 43 people experienced a sensation of loss of consciousness, and 52 people actually lost consciousness briefly — they suffered syncope," explained Alis Grasu.

When to call 112

The SABIF manager emphasised that in the event of heat-related illness that does not pose a life-threatening risk, the first step should be to contact a GP or, for those with chronic conditions, the specialist monitoring them — rather than calling 112 directly.

"If you feel unwell due to the heat, the first option should be to phone or visit your GP. And when it comes to people with known chronic conditions, it is advisable to contact the specialist who monitors them. However, if it is a serious situation in which life is at risk, then by all means call the emergency services on the single emergency number 112," stated Alis Grasu.