Researchers on mission to improve heat illness data at A&Es in Singapore
Several hospitals and residential homes have also been taking more measures to protect patients during hotter weather.
Singapore's scorching heat presents challenges for emergency rooms, as symptoms of heat-related illnesses can resemble other diseases, leading to potential underreporting. Researchers at Singapore General Hospital (SGH) are collaborating with 10 public hospital emergency departments to establish a more consistent system for recognizing, characterizing, and reporting heat-related illnesses.
Senior consultant Marcus Ong, director of the Pre-hospital and Emergency Research Centre at the Duke-NUS Medical School, explains that this includes identifying patients with symptoms such as fainting, cramps, seizures, and headaches, and collecting data like core temperature, strenuous work in hot environments, and underlying medical conditions that put patients at greater risk.
The "HEAT-MAP" study, which runs until 2028, aims to gather data to help forecast future heat threats amid global warming. According to the Ministry of Health, the number of heat-related illness cases at public hospital emergency departments increased from 280 in 2024 to 398 in 2025, both of which were among the warmest years in Singapore.
Ongoing research by researchers from the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine will identify high-risk groups and forecast how the population could be affected by heat illnesses in the future. Hospitals and residential homes have been implementing measures to protect patients during hotter periods, including additional fans and portable air-conditioning systems.
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