He claimed that they received more than a dozen heatstroke patients from different areas of Islamabad last week but all of them were treated and discharged after their condition improved.
To a question, he said, nine air-conditioning units were installed in the old emergency building of PIMS on Saturday and efforts were being made to make the central cooling system operational as soon as possible.
“The public works department is working on installing a central cooling system at the health facility and they have given us a deadline of June 30 to complete the project.”
“Today, the health minister also spoke to the works secretary and requested him to complete the project quickly,” he added.
But surgeons and doctors in many wards have complained that patients in intensive care units (ICUs) and wards are suffering due to extreme heat due to lack of cooling system in the wards as their wounds get infected.
“Patients who underwent surgery suffered the most in the absence of a cooling system. Maintenance people have disconnected our AC for the central cooling system, which has not started yet. Several patients have got post-surgery infections in the last 3-4 days,” claimed a senior surgeon at PIMS.
Medical experts said several patients with high-grade fever were also suffering from extreme heat due to lack of cooling system, while attendants and medical staff were also suffering due to lack of cooling system.
Doctors also criticized the health ministry for failing to address the concerns of patients, attendants and doctors when the Pakistan Meteorological Department had already issued an advisory for extreme heat wave-like conditions in the country, including the capital Islamabad.
“The Sindh Health Department acted immediately after the heatwave warning from the Meteorological Department but the Health Ministry remained asleep knowing that their hospitals were in shambles. The administration of PIMS was also silent and did not take any preventive measures,” said a young doctor, who requested anonymity.
