Provincial Coordinator of National Programme for Primary Health Dr Ihsanullah Turabi has directed authorities and field staff of the programme working in the districts of Swabi, Mardan, Nowshera and Peshawar and to adopt in and off camp preventive measures to avoid incidents of heat stroke due to the scorching heat. He said that heat stroke had emerged as a major public health threat to the IDPs.
The lady health workers and other staff have been cautioned that heat stroke can cause sudden death, while its symptoms include thirst, high fever, increased body temperature, flushed skin, absence of sweating and unconsciousness. Similarly, heat exhaustion, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, headache, lethargy and low-grade fever are symptoms of the mild type of the heat stroke.
Health workers are directed to initiate steps immediately for clinical management of heat stroke patients to bring down their body temperature. For this purpose, they are advised to bring down temperature of the patient promptly by applying cool water to the body and fanning to stimulate sweating.
Similarly, monitoring of body temperature, pulse rate, respiration, blood pressure and continuation of cooling efforts until the body temperature drops to 100F and the patient becomes stable are stressed. Moreover, health workers are asked to monitor the urinary output of the patient, apply intravenous fluids to prevent severe dehydration, electrolyte loss and advise bed rest to the patient as body temperature fluctuates after heat stroke.
Heat stroke patients are prescribed to take plenty of fluids and Lassi, preferably with iodized salt, if they have to perform physical activities in hot weather. They are cautioned to avoid Sharbat, coffee and tea to avoid dehydration. Likewise such patients are advised to cover head with cap or wet cloth and use light coloured, loose clothing.
The Provincial Co-ordinator further instructed the LHWs, lady health supervisors, field programme officers and district coordinators to start in and off camp health education sessions and disseminate health messages in simple language to create awareness in IDPs to avoid incidents of heat stroke.
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