KARACHI – A spokesperson of Pakistan’s biggest social welfare service providers Edhi confirmed on Saturday that the rumors regarding casualties of 600 people in Karachi due to heat wave were fake.

Reacting to the news stories aired on television channels, Edhi official Anwar Kazmi expressed that the death certificates of all the bodies brought in the past twelve days were present.

“None of the deceased were declared dead due to heat stroke,” he clarified.

Kazmi went on to maintain that the heat wave was prevalent in the metropolis however, none of the deaths could be attributed to heat stroke.

The spokesperson appealed to public not to pay heed to such rumors.

Heat Wave Catastrophe

Pakistan’s most populated city faced one of the worst heatwave during June 2015. According to a report by Ministry of Climate Change, a staggering 1200 people lost their lives due to severe heat, rare of its kind in the metropolis.

On the heat index scale, in Karachi, during the event, the maximum temperature recorded was 44.8°C but the heat index was around 66°C on the peak heat wave day i.e. 20th June 2015.

Countering Summer Season

Physicians and health experts have asked people to increase their water intake to avoid heat stroke and maintain required level of minerals in the body especially during Ramazan.

Doctors advised the general public to take at least 8 to 10 glasses of water or liquids in the form of juices, beverages, etc. with intervals from Iftar to Sahar for proper functioning of body organs, said Dr. Rohi Khalil, a senior physician at polyclinic hospital.

She said, “A common practice followed by most of the people is that they take lot of water and drinks at iftar time to quench their thirst, but this is not a healthy practice and not beneficial for the body.”

Dr. Rohi said that to keep the body healthy, “it is imperative that some solid diet should be taken first and then take water gradually as taking water on an empty stomach is not good for intestines.”

She said that the level of salt and sugar in the body fell in Ramazan for which `Lemonade’ was the best drink since it not only helped in quenching thirst but also in keeping the level of minerals in the body at a suitable level.

“At least eight glasses should be taken daily and maximum as much as anyone can take because there is no harm of excessive water intake on human body rather it washes kidneys,” she said.

Senior Physician Dr. Sharif Astori said, “The quantity of fluid required by the body for performing its functions properly should not be fall below a certain level and for this it is imperative to increase water intake.”