India: Suspected heatstroke is a medical emergency. If someone exposed to heat becomes confused, collapses, has a seizure or is unusually unresponsive, call 112 for emergency assistance immediately. Move them to a cooler place if safe and start cooling with water and airflow while help is arranged.
Do these 12 things immediately — numbered first aid checklist
- Recognise the danger. Confusion, disorientation, fainting, seizures or collapse in someone who has been hot or physically exerting themselves may indicate heatstroke.
- Call 112 for emergency help. Say “possible heatstroke” and give your address or precise location. Local ambulance numbers may include 108 or 102, depending on the state.
- Move the person out of heat if safe. Seek shade, an air-conditioned space or the coolest accessible ventilated room.
- Stop physical exertion immediately. Do not make the person continue work, exercise or travel on foot to “walk it off.”
- Lay the person in a safe position. Support their airway and avoid a fall. If unresponsive but breathing, use recovery positioning where appropriate and follow emergency dispatcher advice.
- Remove excess or restrictive clothing. Loosen collars and take away heavy protective layers while maintaining privacy and preventing further harm.
- Cool the body rapidly. Wet the skin or clothing with cool water and fan continuously; use cold wet towels or safe cold packs if available.
- Continue cooling while help is on the way. Do not stop just because the person becomes briefly more responsive.
- Do not force water into a confused or unconscious person. Oral liquids are for someone fully awake, able to swallow safely, and without vomiting; follow dispatcher instructions.
- Check breathing and responsiveness. If the person is unresponsive and not breathing normally, start CPR and follow emergency instructions.
- Watch for additional risks. Vomiting, seizures, injuries from collapse, pregnancy, young age or serious medical conditions may affect the rescue.
- Obtain urgent medical evaluation even if they improve. Heatstroke can cause serious internal harm and requires professional assessment.
Do not read beyond this checklist during a real collapse. Call 112, start safe rapid cooling and follow the medical emergency operator.
A heatwave in India can place enormous strain on outdoor workers, commuters, farmers, children at sporting events and older adults in homes without adequate cooling. Heatstroke may develop through prolonged hot-weather exposure or intense physical exertion; the signs are not always dramatic at first.
The National Centre for Disease Control under India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare identifies heatstroke as a medical emergency, particularly when heat exposure is accompanied by altered awareness, seizure or collapse. The Indian government’s nationwide Emergency Response Support System uses 112 for emergency requests. Both sources are the basis for the immediate instructions above.
The difference between this guide and general summer comfort tips is the priority: when the brain and body are failing in the heat, cooling and urgent professional care are needed together. A cold drink or brief rest is not a substitute for emergency assessment.
Find the information you need
Heatstroke signs · Cooling first aid · Fluids and safety · Common situations · Children and older people · Mistakes · Preventing recurrence · FAQs
How to recognise heatstroke rather than ordinary tiredness
Feeling sweaty, thirsty or tired in hot weather does not automatically mean heatstroke. Heat-related illnesses range from heat cramps and exhaustion to heatstroke. What makes heatstroke especially dangerous is a failure to regulate body temperature combined with possible harm to the brain and other organs.
Major warning signs include confusion, unusual behaviour, unsteady movement, seizures, loss of consciousness, collapse and very high body temperature. A reading of 40°C or more is a serious warning when available, but waiting to obtain a thermometer reading may delay lifesaving action. Treat altered mental state during severe heat exposure as an emergency.
A common misconception is that heatstroke only happens when sweating completely stops. People with exertional heatstroke may still be sweating. Do not rule out the condition because clothing is wet. Think about the whole picture: heavy exertion, high heat, weakness, mental changes or collapse.
Children may show unusual irritability, lethargy, refusal to feed or seizures. An older adult may become confused or unusually drowsy without having described feeling hot. Rapid action is especially important when a person cannot report their symptoms clearly.
How to cool a person with suspected heatstroke
Start cooling where the patient is safe
Move the person to shade or an air-conditioned space if this can be achieved without unsafe carrying or delaying emergency contact. Place them away from a hot vehicle, rooftop, construction area or direct sunlight. Ask bystanders to clear space so air can circulate and emergency staff can reach the patient.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s NCDC public advisory says to cool the patient while waiting for help by moving them into a cooler place, applying cold water to large areas of skin or clothing and fanning as much as possible. These steps can begin immediately with ordinary supplies: clean water, fans, cloths and shade.
Wet the skin, then move air
Cool water on the skin helps remove heat as it evaporates. Pour or spray water onto the skin and damp clothing as appropriate, then fan continuously. Cold wet towels can be changed frequently. If cold packs are available, apply them safely with a barrier to avoid skin injury. Do not crowd the person or keep them in thick clothing merely to preserve modesty; protect privacy while enabling cooling.
Trained teams managing exertional heatstroke may use more intensive techniques such as cold-water immersion with close monitoring, but untrained bystanders should not place an unconscious person in water or create a drowning risk. Rapid wetting and fanning while following the dispatcher is a practical first response.
Cooling does not replace emergency care
Even when the person begins to talk again or their skin feels cooler, there may be problems involving the kidneys, liver, heart or nervous system. Do not cancel professional help merely because early first aid made the person appear better. Ambulance and hospital clinicians must decide whether further monitoring and treatment are needed.
When to give water and when not to
For a person with mild heat-related symptoms who is fully alert, can sit safely and swallow normally, moving to a cool place and taking water or an appropriate oral rehydration drink may help while monitoring symptoms. The NCDC advisory recommends hydration and oral rehydration solution for some milder forms of heat stress.
The rule changes when heatstroke is suspected. A confused, drowsy, vomiting or unconscious person may choke if given water. Do not place liquid, food or tablets in their mouth. Contact emergency services and focus on cooling, positioning and checking breathing.
Alcohol is not a treatment for heat illness. Fever-reducing medicines such as paracetamol are not a substitute for physical cooling and medical attention in heatstroke. Do not delay emergency care while searching for medication or a particular beverage.
The right first aid in five common Indian settings
A construction worker becomes confused in afternoon heat
Stop the work immediately and move the worker to a cooler safe area. Call 112 and explain the altered mental state, worksite address, entry gate and any safety hazards. Begin rapid water-and-fan cooling. Ask one colleague to meet the ambulance while another records the approximate duration of heat exposure, symptoms and first aid.
Do not ask the person to finish a shift or rest alone inside a hot site cabin. Supervisors should ensure others in the same heat are not becoming unwell and should adjust work until appropriate safety measures are in place.
A student collapses during sports
Stop the activity, create shade and ask school or sports staff to call 112. Begin active cooling while staff guide responders to the field. If the student is unresponsive and not breathing normally, start CPR with dispatcher direction. Inform parents after urgent care has begun rather than delaying an emergency call to seek routine consent.
Ask coaches about the approximate time of exertion, any prior dizziness, hydration, protective equipment and timing of collapse. Keep the information factual and communicate it to medical personnel.
An older relative becomes unusually drowsy at home
A hot indoor room can be dangerous even when the person has not gone outside. If the relative has altered awareness, collapse or serious symptoms, call 112, move to a cooler space if safe and start cooling. Do not leave the person alone or assume sleep will solve the problem.
Older adults living alone may not be able to operate cooling equipment, report thirst or recognise worsening illness. Arrange follow-up monitoring and safer home temperatures after the immediate episode.
A commuter becomes dizzy at a crowded bus stop
Help the person sit in shade and assess whether they can speak, remain alert and breathe normally. When confusion, collapse or another severe sign appears, call 112 and begin cooling; do not force the person onto public transport. For milder symptoms without altered awareness, offer a cool environment and fluids if they can safely swallow, while seeking medical advice if they fail to improve.
Someone is found in a parked car
A vehicle in sun can become dangerously hot rapidly. If a person is unresponsive or in danger inside, contact 112 immediately, provide the exact location and follow dispatcher instructions for safe access and rescue. Once the person is safely accessible, move them out of the hot environment and begin cooling. Avoid placing yourself or others in traffic or creating other hazards during rescue.
Children, pregnant people and chronic medical conditions
India’s health advisory highlights infants, young children, pregnant people, older adults, outdoor workers and people with chronic conditions as groups that can be more vulnerable to extreme heat. Medicines, activity, access to shade, age and current illness can also affect risk. These groups should have more frequent check-ins during hot periods.
For a child who becomes suddenly lethargic, confused or has a seizure after heat exposure, do not wait for a visible sweat pattern or request that the child drink a full bottle of water. Call emergency services, begin safe cooling and follow pediatric first aid advice from the dispatcher.
A pregnant person with significant dizziness, confusion, collapse or other severe symptoms needs prompt medical help. Never assume the problem is simply normal tiredness from pregnancy or weather. Tell responders the pregnancy status and approximate gestation if known.
What not to do during suspected heatstroke
- Do not wait for a temperature reading when serious mental changes or collapse are present.
- Do not assume sweating rules out heatstroke. Dangerous overheating can occur even with wet skin.
- Do not force drinks into a drowsy, confused, vomiting or unconscious person.
- Do not leave a collapsed person alone to look for a different cooling product.
- Do not rely on pills for fever instead of rapid physical cooling and emergency care.
- Do not return to work or exercise after apparent improvement without appropriate medical guidance.
- Do not place an unconscious person unattended in a tub or pool, creating a drowning hazard.
- Do not delay calling 112 while debating whether the condition is heat exhaustion or heatstroke.
Preventing heatstroke during Indian summer and heatwaves
- Check Indian Meteorological Department heatwave forecasts and local government warnings each day when conditions are severe.
- Schedule outdoor work, sports and travel for cooler hours where practical, rather than the hottest afternoon period.
- Provide readily accessible cool drinking water, shade and regular rest breaks.
- Use a buddy system so workers and students can recognise symptoms in each other.
- Acclimatise gradually to hot physical work, especially after time away or travel from a cooler region.
- Use appropriate loose clothing and head covering while reducing heat load in accordance with job safety rules.
- Never leave children, older people or pets in a parked car, even for a short errand.
- Check on people living alone or relying on caregivers during heat alerts.
- Keep emergency numbers, a site address and cooling supplies available at workplaces, schools and homes.
- Create a plan for getting an ambulance to the correct entrance and for protecting bystanders while help comes.
For employers, heat precautions are an operational responsibility, not simply advice to individual workers. The NCDC’s public advisory describes shade, drinking water, rest breaks, cooler scheduling, acclimatisation and training. People who fear losing income or a place on a team may hide symptoms; make it possible to stop and ask for help without punishment.
Frequently asked questions
What emergency number works across India?
112 is the government’s nationwide Emergency Response Support System number. Some state ambulance services use 108 or 102; follow local arrangements if already known, but 112 is an appropriate starting point for an emergency.
Can a person have heatstroke while still sweating?
Yes. Sweating does not rule it out. Confusion, collapse or seizures after severe heat exposure demand emergency attention.
What should I do while the ambulance is coming?
Move the person to a safer cooler area, wet large areas of skin and clothing with cool water, fan continuously and monitor breathing and responsiveness.
Should I give cold water to someone who has fainted?
Not if they are unconscious, confused or cannot swallow normally. Forced drinking can cause choking. Follow emergency guidance and focus on cooling.
Should I wait to see if it gets better after a nap?
No when heatstroke is suspected. Altered awareness or collapse requires immediate emergency help and active cooling.
Is heat exhaustion the same as heatstroke?
No. Heat exhaustion may cause weakness, dizziness and heavy sweating, while heatstroke involves dangerous body overheating and can affect the brain. Without a clinician, severe signs should be treated as an emergency.
If they feel better after ten minutes, can they continue working?
No. Suspected heatstroke requires professional assessment; returning to exertion can be dangerous.
The key action is simple
Recognise mental changes in the heat. Call 112. Cool immediately. Do not force drinks. Keep monitoring and obtain emergency care. The purpose of first aid is to reduce risk until trained care takes over.
For another life-safety emergency checklist, see What to Do When a Snake Bites Someone in Australia.
Official guidance and source checks
Official guidance reviewed 4 November 2026. This independent India guide offers general information and does not replace medical professionals, emergency dispatch or current local advisories.