Second 23-year-old dies of heatstroke
KUALA LUMPUR: Another person has died of heatstroke, raising to two the number of people who have succumbed to the condition so far this year due to the El Nino phenomenon.
The latest fatality was 23-yearold Wan Mohd Aliff Faisal Wan Ismedi, a trainee of the basic course for young volunteer servicemen, who died on Tuesday at a polytechnic in Jitra, Kedah.
The first death from heatstroke occurred last month. A police trainee constable, Azizan Ayon, 23, died in Segamat, Johor.
Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said six other trainees of the young volunteer servicemen course also suffered heatstroke and were treated as outpatients.
He also said that the health ministry as of Wednesday recorded 200 cases related to the heat.
In Pahang, he said, there was a case of heatstroke also on Tuesday at an institution of higher learning which required intensive care while eight other people suffered from heat exhaustion following exposure to extreme heat during outdoor activities.
This group of students reportedly participated in a national-level endurance competition that tested their physical resilience.
"One case of heatstroke and two cases of heat exhaustion were treated at Sultan Ahmad Shah Hospital in Temerloh, five cases of heat exhaustion were referred to Jengka Hospital and one case was treated as outpatient at a clinic of an institution of higher learning in Pahang," he said.
All these cases were among the 200 cases related to heat treated at government health facilities - 52 of them heat cramps, 126, heat exhaution and 22, heatstroke.
Dr Noor Hisham advised the people to postpone or restrict strenuous activities such as kayaking, cycling, marathon running and mountain climbing until after the heat wave had subsided.
"If outdoor activities cannot be avoided, they must shorten the period of such exercise or take longer rests and drink plenty of water," he said.
The public can find out about preventive measures and healthcare tips for the hot weather at the ministry website at www. infosihat.gov.my or www.moh. gov.my. - Bernama