Photo: TODAY Online
Opening the door to step out these days feels like an extreme sport. The thick, choking smoke everywhere is affecting health across the region.
Asthma and conjunctivitis case counts have significantly increased nationwide. There has been a 3.5% rise in asthma cases, climbing from 1,222 to 1,265 from 15th to 21st September compared to the week prior.
Health Ministry Deputy Director General Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah added that in the same period, the figures for conjunctivitis rose 514% to 403 cases from the initial 266 cases. However, the numbers for Upper Respiratory Tract Infection dropped as much as 9.6%.
Dr Noor Hisham said that the Health Ministry is constantly observing the developments of haze-related diseases through its 33 Haze Sentinel Facilities and advised the public, especially those at high risk and with existing health problems to take extra precautions. He advised people to refer to http://www.moh.gov.my/index.php/pages/view/183 on the steps they can take to stay as safe as possible.
To stay updated on the current haze readings, the public can visit http://apims.doe.gov.my/.
By: Celestine Foo
