Summer of sorrow : Mercury spike leaves city in heat shock

Patients suffering from chronic illnesses spend nearly all their life tirelessly managing their health condition be it through regular medications or frequent health check-ups just so they may spend a little more time with their loved ones however, for many vulnerable locals in Pakistan’s simmering commercial hub, Karachi, the long fought battle for survival unpredictably reached its culmination with one seasonal heatstroke.

In spite of the local media and climate experts’ manifold cautionary warnings concerning the anticipated heatwave, the local authority’s inability to effectively prepare for and manage the perilous health repercussions of soaring temperatures in the port city has instigated a tragic loss of hundreds of lives within a short span of three to four days from June 21st to June 24th, with the daily death rate reaching an unprecedented level.

“A sharp increase has been observed in the daily death rate in Karachi. Even though a post-mortem is required for determining the exact cause of death, most families of the deceased have cited the intense heat and prolonged power outages as a major reason behind the sudden death of their loved ones,” affirmed the Dr Summaiya Syed Tariq, Police Surgeon of Karachi.

According to Dr Akram Sultan, a public health expert, the current heatwave has worst affected vulnerable populations especially those suffering from chronic illnesses like diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and asthma. “As the city turns into a concrete jungle with each passing day, newly built closed flats have little or no ventilation arrangements. Furthermore, the primary healthcare infrastructure which includes emergency medical camps is also inadequate while cold water and shade installations too are non-existent, leaving hundreds of vulnerable people at the mercy of heat-related health issues,” commented Dr Sultan.

“Between June 21 and June 24, 427 bodies were brought to three Edhi morgues out of which many were found on the streets. This is five times the number of bodies we usually bring to our centre. Since many areas experience 15 to 20 hours of power cuts, fainting incidents too have become very common,” said Faisal Edhi, Head of the Edhi Foundation.

Concurrently, sources from 10 major government and private hospitals in the city revealed that 4,443 cases of heatstroke have been reported during the past few days. “At least 1,500 to 1,800 patients are being reported daily in the city’s public and private hospitals, but the health department does not have any mechanism to collect the actual data. Load-shedding should be stopped in Karachi during the summer season,” urged Dr Aftab Hussain, a public health expert.

“Countless deaths have occurred in Karachi in the recent days. However, it is difficult to determine the exact cause of death since the relatives of the deceased are taking the bodies for burial without post-mortem,” revealed Imran, volunteer at a welfare organization.

In an attempt to inquire about the schedule of loadshedding, The Express Tribune contacted the spokesperson of K-Electric, Owais Munshi and his subordinate twice however, both refused to respond. “We are working towards collecting data of people affected by the heatwave in Karachi,” assured Director Health Karachi Division, Dr Saqib Sheikh.