KUCHING: If you feel unwell, go to the nearest health clinic or hospital to seek immediate treatment.
This is the advice of Sarawak Health Department director Dr Jamilah Hashim to members of the public because of the current worsening haze condition in the state.
She reminded members of the public with chronic diseases such as heart and lung diseases, asthma, children and older adults to take extra care by avoiding outdoor activities.
Jamilah advised teachers to send students who showed health symptoms caused by haze to the nearest clinic or hospital.
According to her, the main sicknesses caused by haze such as conjunctivitis, respiratory tract diseases and asthma are expected to increase.
“If the API readings in the state continue to remain very unhealthy or increase, the health department will instruct all healthcare clinics and hospitals in Kuching to also prepare reports on the three diseases starting today,” she said.
“We hope members of the public will take the preventive measures to protect themselves against haze. Or else there will be an increase of people getting sick,” Jamilah told reporters when met after the launch of the ‘Stop The Stigma Run’ at the old State Legislative Assembly (DUN) Building here yesterday.
There was no increase in cases of people getting sick due to the haze situation yesterday.
Jamilah explained it was still early to know if there had been an increase of cases as the haze situation started worsening just a few days ago.
She explained there were stations that monitored air quality in the state and that there were 15 sentinel clinics statewide near the stations to monitor the three diseases caused by haze.
Since Saturday, the Air Pollutant Index (API) readings in the state were unhealthy and very unhealthy, with Kuching recording an API reading of above 200.
