[News Today] “Disabled more vulnerable to heat wave”

[LEAD]
Relentless heatwaves continue to sweep across the country.

Research indicates that individuals with disabilities are disproportionately vulnerable in these scorching conditions, with a risk of heat-related illnesses five times higher than that of individuals without disabilities.

[REPORT]
This woman in her sixties is suffering from brain lesion.

She can hardly drink water because she lives alone and can't even lift her arms.

She cannot hydrate herself properly even in her house where the indoor temperature soars over 30 degrees Celsius in this extreme heat.

Oh Se-ja / Gwangju resident
I get a little dizzy when I move. I'm not even aware of what is going on. I just deal with it as it comes.

Doctors that make house calls see disabled people suspected of suffering from heat-related illnesses every day.

Kim Ju-hyeong / Chief Doctor of clinic that makes house calls
Huge increase in the number of heat-related illnesses, especially among the disabled.

Most cannot eat properly and are dehydrated.

A Kongju National University research team studied some 290,000 people who suffered heat-related illnesses in seven major cities over a period of ten years and found that the disabled population's risk of suffering from such conditions was five times higher than that of people without disabilities.

The population most vulnerable to the extreme heat wave was the disabled, followed by senior citizens, outdoor workers, and the low-income class.

Lim Jae-yeong / Regional Health & Med. Center for Persons with Disabilities
People with spinal cord disability can't sweat properly as their temperature-controlling central nervous system is damaged.

Their body temperatures can rise in the hot environment.

Experts note that disabled people often don't have cooling systems in their homes.

Although there are cooling centers in each region, disabled people often lack easy access to those facilities.

■ 제보하기
▷ 전화 : 02-781-1234, 4444
▷ 이메일 : kbs1234@kbs.co.kr
▷ 카카오톡 : 'KBS제보' 검색, 채널 추가
▷ 카카오 '마이뷰', 유튜브에서 KBS뉴스를 구독해주세요!

KBS