Averting deaths: Govt to set up 100 heatstroke centres

Dahar says all possible measures are being taken before the temperature rises

KARACHI:

With warnings issued of another heatwave in the metropolis this year, the Sindh government decided on Tuesday to establish at least 100 heatstroke centres in different parts of the city to ensure speedy treatment and reduce the burden on tertiary care hospitals.

“We have decided to work with different stakeholders,” said health minister Jam Mehtab Hussain Dahar, asking NGOs to contact the government for making concrete plans ahead of the heatwave.

Addressing a press conference along with senior minister Nisar Ahmed Khuhro at the Sindh Assembly building, Dahar said all possible measures are being taken before the temperature rises.



Dahar said the provincial government has been warned that the heatwave will again affect Karachi and other parts of the province.

Dahar said girls’ guides, scouts and volunteers will be taken on board.

Khuhro said not only schools and colleges but marriage halls will also be declared as the centres. He added that school hours may also be reduced if the temperature goes up before the annual summer vacations.

Dahar said the Sindh government will request Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to ensure uninterrupted power supply during the emergency.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 2^nd, 2016.