Canadian woman becomes world’s first patient to be diagnosed with ‘climate change’

In an unusual case, a woman from Canada has been diagnosed with “climate change" and is facing issues with breathing. Yes, you read it right! She has become the first patient to suffer from such a problem.

According to Times Colonist, a Canadian daily, the patient is a senior citizen from Canada’s British Columbia province and has been facing an underlying condition of asthma. Doctors, who have been examining the patient, asserted that due to heatwaves and bad air quality the patient’s health condition deteriorated.

Dr Kyle Merritt, the consulting doctor, stated that for the first time in over 10 years, he has used the term ‘climate change’ while writing the patient’s diagnosis.

“She has diabetes. She has some heart failure. She lives in a trailer with no air conditioning. All of her health problems have worsened. And she’s really struggling to stay hydrated,” Merritt was quoted saying to the publication. The doctor also notified that there is a strong requirement to identify and sort out the primary cause rather than just treating patients’ symptoms.

Reports also suggest that the female patient lives in a trailer and is in her seventies. She was diagnosed with this unusual problem soon after the heatwaves struck the country that worsened her frail health.

Through this new finding and outcome, Dr Merritt has encouraged a few local doctors in the area to come together and launch an initiative called the Doctors and Nurses for Planetary Health.

Earlier this year in June, Canada witnessed one of the worst heat waves ever following which there was smog caused due to wildfires that filled the sky. Among the many provinces, British Columbia suffered terrible heat waves that ended up causing 500 deaths, as per reports.