Heatwave camps treat 142 patients across KP in first day of operation: Rescue 1122
JAVED KHAN MOHMAND
PESHAWAR
As an intense heatwave continues to grip Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Rescue 1122 has established a network of heatwave response camps across the province to provide emergency medical assistance and raise public awareness about heat-related illnesses.
According to Bilal Faizi, the spokesperson for Rescue 1122, the initiative comes amid warnings from health and disaster management authorities that prolonged high temperatures, coupled with climate change, have significantly increased the risk of heatstroke and other heat-related emergencies.
Rescue 1122 has established 30 heatwave camps in 10 districts, deploying 69 trained personnel and 30 ambulances at busy markets, bus terminals and other public places, Mr Faizi said.
He shared that the camps provided treatment to 142 people suffering from heat-related ailments on the first day of the operation.
A Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) heatwave vulnerability assessment shows that most of the province’s plains areas, including Peshawar, Nowshera, Charsadda, Mardan, Swabi, Khyber, Mohmand, Bajaur, Malakand, Buner, Haripur, Kohat, Hangu, Karak, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Tank and Dera Ismail Khan, face a high risk during prolonged heatwaves.
In contrast, the cooler mountainous districts, including Upper Chitral, Upper Dir, Kohistan, Battagram, Mansehra, Abbottabad, North Waziristan and South Waziristan, have been classified as comparatively less vulnerable.
Rescue 1122 district-wise deployment shows that six camps each have been established in Peshawar and Swat, three each in Swabi, Nowshera and Mohmand, two each in Buner, Khyber, Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan, and one in Mardan.
Among the districts where the camps were operational, Buner reported the highest number of patients, with 55 people receiving treatment for heat-related illnesses. It was followed by Swat (31 cases), Swabi (30) and Mohmand (26). No patients were reported from camps in Peshawar, Nowshera, Khyber, Mardan, Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan during the reporting period.
The emergency measures follow a nationwide heatstroke advisory issued by the National Institute of Health’s Centre for Disease Control (CDC), which warned that climate change is making heat waves more frequent and severe across Pakistan. The advisory describes heatstroke as a life-threatening medical emergency that can rapidly elevate body temperature and lead to organ failure or death if immediate treatment is not provided.
The advisory has identified children, elderly people, pregnant women, outdoor labourers and individuals with underlying medical conditions as the groups most vulnerable to extreme heat.
It urges people to avoid unnecessary exposure to direct sunlight during peak afternoon hours, remain well-hydrated, wear loose and light-coloured clothing, and seek immediate medical attention if they experience symptoms such as dizziness, confusion, high fever, fainting or loss of consciousness.
Meanwhile, the PDMA has warned that the province may experience a transition from extreme heat to wet weather, forecasting the first spell of monsoon rains between July 1 and July 5.
The authority has cautioned that heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and strong winds could trigger flash floods in local streams, urban flooding in low-lying areas and landslides in upper districts.
District administrations have been directed to keep emergency services, rescue teams and heavy machinery on standby to deal with any weather-related emergency.
