Health experts have warned people to switch off gas room heaters before going to bed to avoid risks of fire and casualties. Talking to APP here on Sunday about recent gas related incidents in some areas, Medical Superintendent Jinnah Hospital Dr Muhammad Hassan advised that people must observe safety measures while using gas room heaters to avoid mishaps.
He said that before going to bed, people should ensure that room heaters are properly switched off, while gas supply must be closed at the source to avoid leakage.
He said that majority of people use gas-heaters in almost air tight rooms in winter season, which results in gas poisoning and may lead to death due to absence of adequate fresh oxygen intake that causes acute breathing problems. He stressed that a window or a ventilator must be kept open for adequate intake of oxygen.
Dr Hassan further said that combustion of natural gas produces carbon monoxide, which is hazardous to life as it destroys red blood cells that maintain oxygen level in the blood. Declined levels of blood oxygen adversely affect entire human body, especially brain, liver, kidney, muscles and the living tissues, he added.