India’s summers are changing rapidly. Heatwaves are arriving earlier, lasting longer and affecting larger parts of the country.
By Prashanth Reddy
Every summer, thousands of Indian families spend heavily on hospital visits that could have been prevented with far smaller investments made weeks earlier.
A sachet of Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) costs less than Rs 10. Compare that with the cost of treating severe dehydration in an elderly patient. A single emergency visit involving IV fluids, blood tests, monitoring and observation can easily cost anywhere between Rs 5,000 and Rs 20,000. Add ambulance charges, missed workdays for caregivers and the emotional stress of a medical emergency, and the financial burden rises further.