KARACHI: Following last week’s rise in mercury level and any possible 2015-like-heatwave in the provincial capital, Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK) has devised a special contingency plan to provide treatment to sunstroke patients more effectively. Last week, average temperature remained above 40 Celsius degree in Karachi. However, met department has not yet alerted for heat wave. Civil Hospital Karachi is one of the biggest tertiary-care hospitals in Sindh province. In 2015, Karachi was worst affected by scorching heat which resulted in over 1,200 deaths in the city while thousands other were also affected. During the heat wave, most of the patients shifted to city’s three major hospitals including CHK, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center. “A special contingency plan had been chalked out in the light of the experience of 2015 heat-wave,” said Dr Abdul Qadir Siddiqui, focal person CHK. “We are ready for tackling any emergency situation and if it happens, we have arranged extra beds, wheelchairs, medical staff, medicines and water for heatstroke patients. Besides, shades at open places for patients’ attendants will also be installed,” he added. He said no one can fight or stop natural disasters but with better preparedness, impacts of catastrophe can minimized. Dr Siddiqui stated that paeds, neurology and other non-emergency units had been made functional under the contingency plan, while repairing of faulty air-conditioners and arrangements of extra beds had already been started. He said all kind of life-saving medicines were available in the healthcare facility, while sufficient budget was also available to purchase necessary drugs throughout Local Purchase (LP) system in case of possible heat-wave. Dr Siddiqui informed that under the contingency plan, patients would be divided in three categories: Red (severely ill patients), Yellow (serious but not life-threatening) and Green (walk-in patients). He said patients of all three categories would be dealt under a proper plan. “A comprehensive awareness campaign was needed to inform masses about the precautionary measures to cope with the heat-wave,” focal person stressed while adding that laborers, elderly people, children and commuters must be given preference in this regard as majority deaths from the previous heat-wave were reported on the city roads.