An independent doctors’ organisation in Tunisia has called for an immediate health emergency to be declared as an intense heat wave drives a sharp rise in heatstroke cases, hospital admissions and reported deaths.
The Tunisian Organization of Young Doctors said on Saturday that emergency departments were experiencing an “unprecedented increase” in patients affected by extreme temperatures, with deaths reported at several hospitals.
The organisation warned that doctors and nurses were working under severe pressure, describing levels of exhaustion among emergency personnel as exceeding the capacity of the healthcare system.
Its head, Wajih Dhakkar, said that 13 deaths had been recorded within 24 hours at Habib Bourguiba Hospital in Sfax. Tunisian authorities have not yet released nationwide official figures for heat-related deaths.
The doctors’ group said the Health Ministry had collected information on fatalities, heatstroke cases and intensive-care capacity but had yet to make the data public.
Tunisia has been experiencing extreme temperatures since Wednesday, with Kairouan reaching 49.8C, according to the Tunisian Observatory of Weather and Climate. The observatory said this made it the world’s second-hottest monitored location at the time, behind Mehran in Iran at 50C.
Six Tunisian cities — Kairouan, Beja, Jendouba, Gabes, Tozeur and Zaghouan — were reportedly among the 20 hottest weather monitoring stations worldwide.
The extreme temperatures have also placed significant pressure on the country’s electricity network. The Tunisian Company of Electricity and Gas introduced temporary power cuts in several areas, saying they were necessary to protect the stability and safety of the system.
The heat wave has compounded concerns over lengthy disruptions to basic services. President Kais Saied said on Thursday that prolonged electricity and water outages, which have reportedly exceeded 10 hours in some areas including Tunis, could not be regarded simply as isolated incidents.
With temperatures remaining dangerously high, the doctors’ organisation urged authorities to treat the situation as a national health emergency and take immediate measures to protect patients and relieve pressure on hospitals.