New estimate of French heat wave deaths: 10,400

[Paschall]

The Pompes funèbres générales, which handles 25% of burials in France, has just released a new estimate of deaths during the first three weeks of August: According to the PFG, compared to the same period last year, there were more 10,400 more deaths in France. And 13,600 more during the entire month of August.

It's going to be a very rough ride for Chirac and Co.

http://www.lemonde.fr/dh/0,5987,3208--21365119,00.html

[SpaceCatMeetsMars]

1. What is causing such a high death toll, Paschall?

Is it because a lot of the old people don't have air conditioning because they usually don't need it in that climate?

[Paschall]

2. I've tried to answer that question here

Check out this link.

Despite what I wrote there, several hospital authorities are now saying they called back personnel before the government gave them the "police power" to do so. There is certainly going to be a parlementary enquiry. And with the latest economic figures from France showing a decline in growth and the still-unresolved retirement "reforms" (privatization) on the government's plate--meaning we'll surely see another wave of strikes this fall--, Chirac's current government may all be out of work before Christmas.

A few years ago, a similar health scandal involving HIV-tainted blood brought down a Socialist government and meant a long political freeze-out of many of the major figures considered responsible.

[SpaceCatMeetsMars]

4. Thank you. I have been of the opinion for some years that most

countries are unprepared for large health crises after doing some reading on the subject. People everywhere never want to pay for these things until after they are needed. This mix of aging populations and freakish weather from global warming is popping up all over the place in the form of diseases that the elderly are more vulnerable to, as well. It seems like there is very little leadership in this area.

I checked your weather, hope it stays cooler!

[Paschall]

5. You're welcome

Yes, temps are back to normal, thank goodness. This crisis has revealed one very big weakness in the otherwise excellent French public health system--we have only about one-third to one-half as many geriatric care specialists as other major EU nations like Germany and Italy.

If you've got a diploma in geriatric medicine and can speak French (or can learn it fast) this may be an opportunity for you to emigrate to the land of smelly cheese. ;-)

[SpaceCatMeetsMars]

8. Don't tempt me! I visited with

some French friends in June and enjoyed some of that after-dinner smelly cheese with them. So many Americans are talking about moving to other countries. Everyone wants to jump ship! I am just resigning myself to staying here at this point, but it does sound like such a nice adventure to go elsewhere.

[Branjor]

3. Wow

And some people say there is no such thing as global warming.

[wellst0nev0ter]

6. Are The Wingnuts At The WaPo Gonna Publish A New Editorial?

:eyes:

[otohara]

7. One Would Hope Not After Receiving Letters Like These

Hot And Bothered
Saturday, August 16, 2003;

As a resident of the Paris region and former resident of the Washington area I take exception to your editorial "Can't Stand the Heat?" . Summer in Washington consists of going from one comfortably cool, if not downright arctic, environment to another while attempting to minimize the amount of time actually spent enduring the heat.

In Paris air conditioning in most cases is nonexistent. I've lived here for more than 10 years without owning a fan.

I did have a fan at work, but on the third day of the heat wave it disappeared from my desk. On my commuter train, temperatures were hovering around 100 degrees.

Heat-related deaths in the Paris area have become so numerous that funeral homes and morgues are filled to capacity. I heard on the radio that in the Paris suburb of Clichy, the body of a man who died 10 days ago is still in his apartment because the funeral home has no place for him.

Do not judge as you sit in the air-conditioned comfort of your office in a city that expects hot weather and is prepared to deal with it.

-- Maïté Penna

And this scathing letter:

Kudos to your editorial board for its insightful, relevant and compassionate piece on the deadly heat wave currently ravaging Europe. As a native midwesterner, I sincerely hope that your paper sees fit to run a similar piece the next time a record-breaking winter storm strikes south of the Mason-Dixon line, killing hundreds of elderly Americans in their homes, causing massive disruption to business and transportation and bringing soul-smothering misery to the daily lives of millions.

Perhaps that would teach 'em not to mock our parkas and studded tires quite so much.

-- Tom Darby

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1251-2003Aug15.html

[Lydia Leftcoast]

9. Mon Dieu, c'est affreux!

I visited Paris only once, many years ago, but from my memories of how the buildings are constructed, I can easily see how they could become death traps in record-breaking heat.

Tokyo is a similarly congested city, but people there expect summer to be miserable, so they have all sorts of modern (air-conditioning, fans, beverage machines on every street corner) and traditional (shaved ice, cold barley tea, lots of cross-ventilation in old-style bulidings, sleeping under a giant towel) ways of dealing with it.

[VolcanoJen]

10. Kick!

:dem: