No relief in sight: Rising temperatures bring illnesses for many

Heat wave hits twin cities, gastro patients start pouring in.

ISLAMABAD:

As the summer gains intensity, public hospitals of the twin cities are being flooded with patients suffering from gastrointestinal and other heat-related diseases.

For the past two weeks, average temperature in Islamabad and Rawalpindi has been between 36 to 40 degrees Celsius, with dry and hot weather expected to continue next week with no chances of rain, said Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) Director General (DG) Arif Mehmood while talking to The Express Tribune.

He said the heat intensity will increase from 2-3 degree Celsius during next week, however, the two cities will experience normal summer temperature in the coming months as last year.



Meanwhile, according to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) spokesman, Dr Waseem Khawaja, the emergency department of the hospital receives over 150 cases of gastroenteritis daily. Spokesman Polyclinic Hospital, Dr Sharif Astori, put daily gastroenteritis patients at 20-25.

Moreover, in the last few days, Rawalpindi’s Holy Family Hospital (HFH), Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) and District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) have received around 150 cases of gastroenteritis.

Talking to The Express Tribune, a senior physician at HFH, wishing not to be named, said, “Every summer hospitals are flooded with patients suffering from various forms of stomach diseases but unfortunately the concerned departments do not pay any heed to this.”



He highlighted that the majority of patients are daily wage labourers who work long hours under the open sky without access to clean water and shade for rest. “Just by ensuring the provision of clean drinking water the government can decrease the number of gastrointestinal patients to a great extent,” he said.

“For poor people like us, two meals and water is a blessing regardless of its quality,” said Mohammad Aleem, an attendant of a labourer brought to Pims for food poisoning.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 19^th, 2013.