In rural India, summer’s heat can be deadly. Ambulance crews see the toll up close

By RAJESH KUMAR SINGH, PIYUSH NAGPAL and SIBI ARASU
Associated Press

BANPUR, India (AP) — Extreme heat is fast becoming a serious public health crisis in India, with more than 150 people dying during a severe heat wave that blasted the country earlier in June. India is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change and severe heat, which is sometimes classified as a slow-onset disaster. Ambulance crews can be the first line of care for those affected by heat. The Associated Press followed one such crew as they raced from call to call during a busy 12-hour shift in Bundelkhand, a mostly poor region in the nation’s interior that is one of India’s hottest. Paramedic Jitendra Kumar said the work is difficult but he feels proud to be saving lives.