Relief centres, camps to be set up across city

Karachi

As part of the contingency plan to prevent heatwave deaths in Karachi this summer – keeping in mind that over 1,500 people had died in the city last year because of heatstroke or other related illnesses - deputy commissioners will set up emergency relief centers in their jurisdictions.

Besides, at a meeting presided over by Karachi commissioner Syed Asif Hyder Shah on Monday, it was also decided that relief camps would be set up at main roundabouts, markets, filling stations, traffic signals and other crowded areas. Cold drinking water will be available at these camps and volunteers deployed there will assist heatstroke patients.

The meteorological department has warned of another heat wave in the city from May to June and urged the authorities to remain vigilant and take steps to prevent deaths.

Health secretary Saeed Ahmed, Karachi administrator Laeeq Ahmed, and representatives of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority, Rangers, Pakistan Navy, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board, and the K-Electric also attended the meeting.

The participants of the meeting were informed that PDMA would assist deputy commissioners by providing life-saving facilities for the relief centres.

The deputy commissioners told the participants that the relief centres would be equipped with fans, cold water, ice, ORS and essential medicines while ambulances would also be available there to shift patients to nearby hospitals.

They said welfare organisations had been approached ensuring the availability of ambulances at the relief centers and public and private hospitals too have had been contacted for allocating beds and wards for the heatstroke patients

Coordination officers will be appointed to deal with private hospitals so that people requiring immediate medical attention could be treated there.

A representative of the K-Electric said the power utility would try to reduce the duration’ of power outages during extremely warm weather.

The representative further briefed the meeting that the K-Electric was improving its transmission system. He added that the power utility had installed scores of PMTs and improved feeders so that the electricity supply could be improved in the coming summer.

Speaking on the occasion, the Karachi commissioner directed the K-Electric to ensure that the power outrage duration was same in all areas and the power utility did not resort to discrimination.

It was decided that a programme to train ambulance drivers would be launched immediately so that they could transport patients to the health facilities without delay.

The responsibility to train ambulance drivers was assigned to the PDMA, which would seek the health department’s assistance and make arrangements for their training before summer.

It was further decided that an awareness campaign would also launched to inform citizens about the steps they should take in case of extreme heat.

The Karachi commissioner said most steps in case of a heat wave would be taken by the PDMA and urged all provincial and federal departments to support the authority.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department on Sunday warned of a heat wave expected to persist during the first week of June, while the month of May was also to be warmer than previous years.

The temperature was expected to rise up to 40 degrees Celsius in the month of May.

PMD Director General Ghulam Rasul said the citizens would be informed beforehand of the safety measures supposed to be adopted, through media channels as well as message alerts, which would be sent out through telecommunication companies.

The DG claimed of having signed an agreement with the KE to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply during the heat wave.

Advisor to provincial chief minister, Qayoom Soomro, claimed the provincial government was completely prepared to tackle the heat wave this year.

He said heatstroke centres would be established to provide timely first aid to citizens.

Soomro also called for the federal government to coordinate with the provincial administration in the wake of the threat.

As the city’s graveyards ran out of space to bury over 1,500 people who perished in last year’s heat wave, the Edhi Foundation fearing a déjà vu announced having already arranged for 300 spaces for bodies at the organisation’s graveyard, informed an official.