Heat wave triggers health crisis for Lahore’s residents
It has been a rough start to the summer season in Punjab as its residents are facing the dire consequences of a heat wave that has gripped the province since the start of May.
If the power load shedding was not enough, the threat of various diseases triggered by the extreme heat has the population lamenting about the lack of a functional government. Since the country’s most populous province does not have a health minister as the politicians continue to tussle over power, there seems to be no strategy to combat the rising hospitalisations due to heat strokes and diarrhea.
“The hospitals are overcrowded and the people are in dire straits,” remarked Dr Athar Yousaf of the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, “we cannot even keep many patients overnight as the hospitals are unhygienic and it has adverse consequences for already sick patients.” Other doctors at government hospitals, requesting anonymity, shared his sentiments further adding that as the ministers have not been sworn in yet, the policy and other development work in all hospitals is stagnant; and the old secretaries have also been transferred, so no one is taking interest in their work.
While it is not certain when Punjab will have a new cabinet, hospitalizations will only increase. A source from the provincial health department privy to the matter, disclosed to The Express Tribune under the condition of anonymity that in the past 24 hours there have been 700 patients reporting heat stroke and diarrhea in Lahore alone; while in the past two weeks there have been a total of 8,000 patients which have reported to different government hospitals due to heat stroke and diarrhea. If the numbers are any indication of the health crisis that is brewing in Lahore, Dr Javed Akram, the Vice Chancellor of Punjab Institute of Health Sciences, says that residents need to exercise extreme caution.
“Water should also be boiled before drinking, as germs thrive in the water in this weather which causes the spread of diseases. Special care should be taken before eating food and one should visit the hospital immediately as carelessness can cause more harm.” Similarly, Dr Muhammad Riaz, MS of Mozang Hospital, was of the view that people should pay extra attention to their hygiene as the main cause of the spread of diarrhea was poor hygiene.
“Wash your hands often to stop the spread of disease. Moreover, be careful of what you eat as eating repeatedly heated stale food can be detrimental for your stomach,” he told The Express Tribune.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 20th, 2022.