PUTRAJAYA, April 14 — A total of 45 heat-related illness cases were reported nationwide until yesterday, involving 33 heat exhaustion cases, 11 heatstroke cases, and one heat cramp case.
Health Director-General Datuk Dr Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan said eight cases were reported each in Perak and Kedah and six in Selangor.
Five cases were reported each in Johor, Negeri Sembilan, and Pahang; four cases in Sabah, two cases in Perlis, and one each in Penang and Kelantan.
“Cumulatively, two deaths due to heatstroke have been reported. The first death was a 22-year-old man, and the second was a three-year-old boy in Kelantan,” he said in a statement today.
Four cases are currently receiving treatment in hospitals, including one heatstroke case treated in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and three cases treated in regular wards, two of which are heatstroke cases and one of which is heat exhaustion.
“The other cases have recovered and have been discharged. The case treated in the ICU involves a 24-year-old man who was admitted to the Port Dickson Hospital ICU on March 10 and was transferred to the Tuanku Jaafar Hospital ICU in Seremban on April 5,” Dr Radzi said.
The Health Ministry (MOH) advises the public to continue to be cautious by ensuring adequate hydration and reducing strenuous physical activity, as well as outdoor activities during the current hot weather.
He also urged the public to avoid hot weather exposure, to rest more frequently during hot weather, and to opt for visits during cooler periods or at night, especially when visiting relatives and friends during the festive celebrations.
MOH is monitoring heat-related illnesses following a warning issued by the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) yesterday,
Areas under Alert Level One with a daily maximum temperature of 35°C to 37°C for at least three consecutive days being monitored include Kedah’s Langkawi, Kubang Pasu, Kota Setar, Pendang, Yan, Kuala Muda, Kulim, Bandar Baharu, Baling, Padang Terap, Sik, and Penang’s Northeast district.
Other areas also include Perak’s Hulu Perak, Kuala Kangsar and Kinta; Gua Musang in Kelantan; Raub in Pahang; Limbang in Sarawak; and Sabah’s Tenom, Beaufort, and Tuaran.
Meanwhile, Pokok Sena in Kedah was recorded at Alert Level Two, which indicates a maximum temperature exceeding 37°C to 40°C for at least three consecutive days.
MetMalaysiaalso expects dry and hot weather with temperatures exceeding 35°C to persist in most places in the Peninsula and Sabah until the middle of this month.
— Bernama
