Heatstroke kills nine in Pindi, Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: Nine people died due to heatstroke in Rawalpindi and Islamabad on Sunday.

Four out of nine people who died due to heatstroke were brought to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) where the air-conditioning system was malfunctioning and intense heat and humidity became a matter of concern.

Meanwhile, Federal Minister Abdul Qadir Patel came to visit PIMS after receiving complaints regarding lack of facilities, shortage of medicines and X-ray films in the hospital. He summoned PIMS administration and admonished them on this pathetic condition in the hospital, especially malfunctioning of air-conditioning system, which also created problems for doctors in hospital. He was told that air-conditioning system in hospital was outdated and needs special attention for its restoration.

The four people who died due to heatstroke in Islamabad during the last 24 hours were ‘brought dead’ at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Islamabad, while several patients who suffered heatstroke in the last few days were treated and discharged when their condition stabilised, officials at the PIMS said on Sunday.

Ironically, no preventive measures were taken either by the National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination or the PIMS administration following a heatwave warning issued by the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) prior to the start of extremely hot and humid weather.

“We had issued a warning of 4-6 degrees above normal temperatures in Islamabad and other plain areas of the country well before the start of the heatwave. Our warning was issued on June 20 regarding a severe heatwave in the capital and other plain areas from June 21-25, 2023,” an official of the PMD said, deploring that no action was taken on their advisory, which resulted in loss of some lives.

Following the reports of deaths due to heatstroke at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Islamabad, Federal Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel on Sunday visited the health facility and directed the installation of air-conditioners at the emergency department to facilitate patients and staff.

“The city experienced an extreme heatwave these days, while the project for central cooling at the health facility was delayed by the Public Works Department, which caused extreme agony to patients, attendants and hospital staff. But I have directed the PIMS executive director to arrange tower air conditioners for the emergency and other wards, where patients and staff are facing issues due to extreme heat these days,” Patel told media persons at PIMS.

On the other hand, the PIMS administration denied reports of any death at the health facility due to extreme heat, saying four people had been brought dead at the health facility by the district administration, who probably died due to heatstroke. They said all possible assistance was being provided to facilitate the patients and their attendants at the healthcare facility.

“At least four people were brought dead at the hospital’s emergency by the district administration on Saturday, who probably died due to heatstroke during extreme heatwave-like conditions. We have complete evidence that these people were not alive when they were brought at the health facility,” Dr Mubashir Daha, a spokesman for the PIMS, told The News.

He claimed that they received over a dozen patients of heatstroke last week from different areas of Islamabad but all of them were treated and discharged when their condition improved. To a query, he said nine air-conditioning units had been installed at the old emergency building of PIMS on Saturday, while efforts were being made to get the central cooling system functional as early as possible. “Public Works Department is working on the installation of central cooling system at the health facility and they have given us the deadline of June 30 for the completion of project. Today, the health minister also spoke to the secretary Works and requested him to get the project completed at the earliest,” he added. But surgeons and doctors in many wards complained that patients were suffering in the intensive care unit (ICU) and wards due to extreme heat as their wounds were getting infected in the absence of cooling system at wards.

“Patients who had surgeries suffered the most in the absence of a cooling system. The maintenance guys disconnected our ACs for central cooling system, which is yet to start. Several patients got infections following surgeries in the last 3-4 days,” a senior surgeon at PIMS claimed.

Medicine experts said several patients with high-grade fever also suffered due to extreme heat in the absence of cooling system, while attendants and medical staff also remained in agony due to the lack of cooling system.

Doctors also criticised the Health Ministry for its failure to preempt the problems of patients, attendants and doctors when the Pakistan Meteorological Department had already issued an advisory on extreme heatwave-like conditions in the country, including the capital, Islamabad.

“Sindh Health Department acted promptly after heatwave warning by the met department but the Ministry of Health remained sleeping despite knowing that their hospitals were in shambles. The administration of PIMS also kept mum and did not take any preventive measures,” a young doctor, who requested anonymity, said.