The Emergency Medical Service in the Eastern Cape has warned the public against prolonged exposure to direct sunlight and strenuous outdoor activity ahead an El Niño-induced heatwave.
Eastern Cape government departments in collaboration with the World Health Organisation have convened a five-day strategic planning session.
The anticipated high temperatures are expected to test the highs last seen in the 1950s.
Emergency Medical Services clinical governance manager, Abongile Xeketwana says sectors like health, education, and agriculture are expected to be affected.
“In health, people have to go to clinics, people have to access the healthcare services. Some people have to go and collect medication. Some people live in areas where the weather might be too extreme for them. We have vulnerable population, your women, your children, your older people, and mostly people that are living alone. So, those are the people that we are mostly worried about, that these people might be highly impacted, especially people that are living alone, in high temperatures. If something happened to that person, then no one would be able to go and check up on them. And the education sector, you have children that are working distances to school, that might also have an impact.”
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