Even after a week, people are still falling prey to the deadly Karachi heatwave. The most recent batch has seen 22 dead, leading to a total of more than 1300 people losing their lives. The main causes of death include heat stroke, humidity, suffocation and dehydration.
According to various reports, most of the people who lost their lives were fasting, which also added to their woes, while others died due to old age, weakness or a combination of different diseases. These also included a large number of laborers.
While the citizens of the city have been granted some respite, due to a reduction in heat and the change in weather, little has been seen in the way of the provincial government helping people during these testing times. However, the death rate has greatly decreased, as the number of people being admitted to hospitals in quiet less, according to official reports.
Dehydration is a major cause of heat stroke. This is because if a person becomes dehydrated and cannot sweat enough to cool their body, their internal temperature may rise to dangerously high levels, causing heat stroke, which has been the most common reason of deaths in Sindh this summer.
In order to cater for this issue, HTV has initiated a hydrate campaign called “PyaasBhujao”. Volunteer and doctors have been travelling all over Karachi, providing free checkups and free water as well as ORS to slum areas and people from underprivileged backgrounds.
On the second day of the campaign, the HTV team in coordination with Dr Ziauddin Hospital visited Railway Colony near Phattak where 300 people were provided with clean water and free checkups.
On the third day of the HTV Hydrate Campaign, doctors along with the volunteers in coordination with Dr Ziauddin Hospital visited the areas of Cantt Station, Korangi, Landhi, Gulbai Road, Tower and Keemari. Around 2000 people were hydrated and provided with free checkups.
The campaign still continues.