Families of patients shelter under hospital stairs as heat hits 40°C in central Vietnam

At noon on Sunday, the corridor outside the intensive care unit at Nghe An General Friendship Hospital was crowded with relatives of patients sitting, standing, and lying on the benches as they waited.

Many have critically ill family members and remain on site to assist, even as sweltering conditions continue throughout central Vietnam, where a prolonged heatwave has pushed temperatures toward 40 degrees Celsius in recent days.

Hospital staff have added high-capacity fans to ease the heat, but the air remains stifling.

Each time doctors step out to give updates, anxious relatives gather, worried about loved ones inside.

To escape the oppressive conditions, some spread mats or set up folding beds under stairwells.

Vi Cong Dinh, 42, from Tan Ky Commune in Nghe An, said finding space under a stairwell was a relief as it offered more shade than the corridor.

His father, who suffered a brain hemorrhage, has been hospitalized for more than a month.

“Renting a room outside is expensive, and staying close makes it easier when doctors give updates,” he said, adding that the recent heat has made conditions even harder.

Under intense heat with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, many workers in Nghe An continue to labor to make a living.

Around midday at Vinh Market in central Nghe An, porters can still be seen carrying goods despite the intense sun.

Rising temperatures and stifling humidity have made conditions especially harsh for outdoor workers such as road and bridge construction crews.

After several consecutive days of extreme heat, residents say this year’s summer has arrived earlier and more severely than usual.

“It’s too hot, so we try to start early and finish earlier at noon. But construction is committed to the fixed deadline, so we can’t avoid working during peak heat,” said Pham Van Tinh, 52, a builder from Van Du Commune.

The ongoing heatwave, combined with the southwest Foehn wind, has left the streets in central Nghe An largely deserted between noon and 2:00 pm.

Those who must go out cover themselves head to toe with sun-protective clothing, masks, and sunglasses.

According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, the provinces from Thanh Hoa to Hue in central Vietnam recorded severe to extreme heat on April 11-12, with highs of 38-40 degrees Celsius and some areas exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, while humidity dropped as low as 35-40 percent.

The heatwave is expected to persist in the coming days.