Three die of heat stroke in Gujranwala

Health department has set up dedicated counters for people suffering from illness

GUJRANWALA/ LAHORE: At least three people lost their lives while several others were admitted to hospitals due to the heat stroke in Gujranwala on Monday.

Officials told Express News that forty-year-old Muhammad Arif, a resident of Ayub Nagar, was grazing his cattle near Lower Chenab when he suffered a heat stroke and died on the spot.

In another incident, Zafar Iqbal was swimming in a canal when he suffered a heat stroke. As a result, he could not survive and lost his life.

Similarly, 70-year-old Rehmat Khan suffered a fatal heart attack triggered by scorching heat and died on the spot.

During the past few days, hospitals admitted dozens of heat stroke patients, including young men, women and children.



Doctors said many patients that arrived at different hospitals were in a critical condition. The patients included Ayesha Bibi, Muhammad Aslam, Rehan Rasool, Fauzia, Shazia, Tanveer Ahmed, Barkat Ali, Muhammad Jamal, Yawar Hussain, Talqeen Shah, Zawar Ahmed and Muhammad Anwar.

In all, 40 people were admitted in different rural health centres during the past 48 hours. In view of the alarming situation, the health department has set up dedicated counters for people affected by heat stroke.

Meanwhile, health officials said people should avoid unnecessary exposure to the sun and take precautionary measures. They also warned the public about warning signs and symptoms of a heatstroke, which include fever, severe headache, red and hot body, dryness of lips and tongue, vomiting, dizziness and tremors.

They said that children, elderly people and those fasting should wear light clothes, avoid going out unnecessarily and cover their heads with a damp cloth in case of excessive heat.

They pointed out that heat stroke is the most serious heat-related illness. It occurs when the body becomes unable to control its temperature. As the body’s temperature rises rapidly, the sweating mechanism fails, and the body is unable to cool down.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 5^th, 2018.