‘People should limit physical activities during the hot weather, which could lead to illness, and limit time outdoors.’
– Dr Zaliha Mustafa, Malaysian Health Minister.
Dear friends, how was your Hari Raya Aidilfitri? Did you have a good time visiting friends and families?
During the long public holidays, I tried to do some gardening in my backyard lot but was strongly advised by concerned family members and friends not to do so because of the severe hot weather.
Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa has advised the public to use face masks, umbrellas and hats to avoid direct exposure to the hot weather and haze currently affecting the country.
She also advised them to avoid strenuous activities to prevent illness during the current weather conditions and to limit the time spent outdoors.
It is wise and better for us to heed the advice of a medical expert like Dr Zaliha..
Do you know that so far, until April 28, the Health Ministry has detected five cases of heat-related illness in Malaysia?
Of the total, two cases were reported in Kelantan; the first case involved an 11-year-old boy who died of heatstroke and severe dehydration while the second case case involved a 19-month-old toddler who died of severe dehydration with underlying sepsis.
The boy’s mother told local newspaper, The Star, ”The doctor said his kidneys and heart were ‘burnt’. It was empty inside: the water and blood in his body had ‘dried’ up.”
The toddler’s father told Bernama that the autopsy showed the cause of her death was heat stroke as her body was dehydrated and her lungs had shrunk.
The girl had gone to a local hospital to receive treatment for symptoms such as vomiting, coughing and weakness. She died shortly after she was discharged from the hospital.
Meanwhile, three other cases of heat-related illness were detected in Sarawak; two cases were of heat cramps while one case was of heat exhaustion.
Health director-general Datuk Dr Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan, who revealed the five cases of heat-related illness in Malaysia so far, warned that prolonged exposure to hot weather without drinking enough water could be bad to one’s health, especially high-risk groups like children, senior citizens and those with chronic diseases.
He said symptoms of illness related to severe hot weather included headaches, fatigue, lack of concentration, dizziness, muscle weakness or cramps and nausea.
He advised the public to drink at least eight glasses of water a day and to avoid sugary, caffeinated and carbonated drinks which were bad for hydration.
Dr Zaliha also advised the public to drink lots of plain water, at least eight glasses per day, even if they did not feel thirsty.
“This is to maintain the body’s hydration level, which is important in regulating the body temperature,” she explained.
She advised the public to take frequent baths to cool down and to avoid thick, tight and dark-coloured clothes. Those who feel unwell should seek immediate treatment at the nearest facility as well.
Dr Zaliha also urged the public to keep their windows closed to prevent haze particles from entering their houses or buildings.
My friends, the intense heatwave is affecting not only Malaysia but the whole of Southeast Asia with monitoring statons registering record temperatures.
The hot weather has also taken a toll on vegetable farming in Sarawak. A vegetable seller in Kuching reported that his okras and egg plants were now stunted due to the lack of rain. Other vegetables like ’kangkong’ (water spinach) and ‘ensabi” (mustard green) had turned yellow and wilted because of the intense heat.
He feared that if the extreme weather persisted, there might not be enough vegetables for sale to customers. To keep his vegetables alive, he is watering them more often than usual.
Another vegetable seller said her limes were now smaller and yellow because of the heatwave.
“Usually, they are large and green in colour,” she said.
How long will the current heatwave last? Well, according to the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysi), it is expected to last until May before subsiding in June.
Until then, I guess we, the general public, just have to wisely follow the advices of the Health Minister and Health director-general to stay healthy and hydrated.
