French President Jacques Chirac has admitted shortcomings in the country's renowned health system after this month's killer heatwave but said steps would be taken to improve the system's readiness. He said: "I have asked the government to analyse the causes of the crisis that we have gone through, thoroughly and transparently. All the necessary lessons must be learned so that we can avoid a repeat of such a situation." Ministers discussed the response to the heatwave at the first cabinet meeting since the official summer break. The opposition has attacked the centre-right government for the way it handled the issue. Health Minister Jean-Francois Mattei has come in for particular criticism. The head of France's health authority resigned last week after predicting the death toll from the hot weather could be as high as 3,000. But the government is now using as its guide an estimate by a nationwide firm of undertakers that more than 10,000 people died. Elderly people were especially vulnerable as temperatures rose above 40 degrees Celsius. **PHOTO CAPTION*** French President Jacques Chirac speaks at the Elysee Palace in Paris, at the end of a cabinet meeting regarding France's recent heatwave, Thursday Aug. 21, 2003. (AP Photo/Pierre Verdy, Pool)