Incidences of heat related disorders on rise

ISLAMABAD: The number of cases of heat related disorders including heat exhaustion, heat syncope, heat cramps and sunburn along with other summer-related ailments like gastroenteritis is continuously on the rise as a severe heat wave continues to prevail.

Almost all public and private sector healthcare facilities in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi are receiving significant number of patients with heat related illnesses and the same is the case with Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences.

PIMS has received over 3000 patients with gastroenteritis in last one month or so while patients suffering from heat exhaustion and heat cramps have also been reporting at PIMS outpatient department and in emergency department, said Deputy Director at PIMS Dr. Wasim Ahmed Khawaja while talking to ‘The News’ on Monday.

He added that nearly one-half of the gastro patients reaching PIMS have been with moderate dehydration while around 20 per cent reached the hospital with severe dehydration.