President Jacques Chirac admitted shortcomings in France's health system today as pressure mounted over the death of 10,000 during the heatwave.
Mr Chirac, who had hoped to cut health spending in an economic austerity drive, made a rare televised address, pledging more cash for emergency services as French deaths surged past the toll in other affected countries such as Spain and Portugal.
"Everything will be done to remedy the inadequacies that wehave seen in our health system," Mr Chirac said after the meeting of his cabinet following the summer break, breaking his much-criticised silence on the heatwave.
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"Our emergency services, so essential, should be betterrecognised. . . . They will receive the means to respond at any time to these exceptional circumstances," he said.
As temperatures soared past 40 degrees in the firsthalf of the month, the government initially put the death toll at 3,000.
But Mr Hubert Falco, secretary of state for the aged,told reporters on Thursday the government was now using the10,400 estimate made by a top firm of undertakers today.
France's health authority chief resigned on Monday amidaccusations that authorities were too slow in reacting asFrance's old people in particular succumbed to dehydration.
Portugal has said an estimated 1,316 people died from theheat there. Italy said the heatwave pushed up deaths in July and August by roughly 20 per cent compared with last year. Spain reported just 100 deaths.