Photo credit: Cleveland clinic.
By Dada Ahmed in Lokoja.
Recovering from the devastating effect of receding flood in Lokoja, Kogi State,north central Nigeria, residents of the area have expressed fear of possible excruciating heat soon.
Our Correspondent recalls that no fewer than nine local government areas of the state are submerged by the flood during which about 600 hectres of farmlands and property, including houses, worth billions of naira were destroyed.
Seven persons;four in Ibaji Local Governnent Area and three from Ajaokuta Local Area of the state lost their lives at the peak of the flood which also sacked thousands of residents from the comfort of their homes taking up temporary accommodation with relations and friends.
Some members of the public,in their reactions to the emerging hostile atmospheric condition in the state capital, in separate interview with our Correspondent on Monday described weather condition of the area, at.this time of the year, as terrible.
They called on the State Ministry of Health to begin vaccination of people against cerebrospinal minigitis and other heat related diseases.
According to www.dictionary.com, cerebrospinal meningitis is an cute inflammation of the meninges of the brain and spinal cord, caused by a specific organism, accompanied by fever and occasionally red spots on the skin.
Medical doctors assert that the disease is common during period.
“Getting out of the steam of the devasting effect of flood in many parts of the state gradually, we are gradually being welcomed to another ugly side of in nature, this time, excruciating heat,” Andrew Alabi,a resident of Gadumo area told The Reporters.
Flood in Lokoja.
Another resident, who simply wants to be known as Miss Elizabeth, living in 200 unit, off Gadumo-Ganaja road, expressed the fear that “with the way this year’s heat shows, I pray that God almighty will show mercy on us not to go through excruciating heat.
“We hope and pray that the flood recedes faster than expected,so that authorities concerned with the supply of drinkable water to the public can rectify the damage caused to water works by flood and resume supply of such invaluable commodity to human health,social and economic activities.
“Surely,we need more water to drink and replace the lost one,than before due to heat,”she said.
Alhaji Mohamed Sani, in his comment said,” My family and are I are warming to resort to sleep outside the comfort of our room. If the the heat becomes unbearable, we would have no option than sleeping outside, the security risk involved not withstanding.”
He called on the State Ministry of Health to begin vaccination of people, especially youths, against heat related diseases.
According to health experts,heat related Illnesses occur,on a more serious condition,due to the inability of human body to cope with a particular heat load which are:iheat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat syncope, and heat stroke among others.
They identify tiredness. dizziness. headache. feeling sick or being sick as some of the symptoms of heat related diseases and urged people to live and sleep in well ventilated houses and avoid over crowded areas among other precautionary measures to ease the effect of heat and its related diseases.
