Emergency imposed in KMC hospitals over heatwave alert

karachi : Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar imposed a state of emergency in hospitals under the administrative control of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) on Saturday, keeping in view the heatwave alert issued by the Pakistan Meteorological Department.

According to a statement issued by the corporation, the mayor directed the corporation’s medical services senior director to ensure the presence of doctors and paramedics at the KMC-run hospitals and provide all the necessary equipment there.

The Met Office has forecast that a heatwave would hit Karachi from May 5 till May 8 with the temperature rising to 40 to 42 degrees Celsius.

The mayor asked the citizens, particularly children and old-timers, to avoid unnecessarily going out, especially during the daytime.

Akhtar directed the hospitals’ management to take special measures to combat the expected heatwave. He said no lethargy would be tolerated in this regard.

"Doctors and other paramedics should be called in three different shifts," he directed. The mayor said hospitals were already getting out of space as the number of coronavirus patients are increasing day by day.

"Most of the business places are closed in the city due to the lockdown and the people are staying at their homes,” he said, adding that the best way to save oneself from the heat wave was also to avoid unnecessarily going out especially during the daytime.

Akhtar directed the KMC-run hospitals’ management to ensure strict measures. He hoped that doctors and paramedical staff would serve the patients affected by the heatwave with as much dedication and courage which they had showed for COVID-19 patients.

He also asked the citizens to immediately visit hospitals if they experienced any of heatwave symptoms.