KOTA KINABALU: No heat strokes or heat cramps have been reported in Sabah since the hot and dry spell started, says state health director Dr Asits Sanna.

       He said the department only received two reports related to the ongoing drought, adding these were heat exhaustion cases in the southwestern Beaufort district.

       These cases were reported in the fourth and eleventh epidemiological weeks, he added.

       “The first heat exhaustion case involved a 50-year-old man who showed symptoms while chopping down a tree,” he said in a statement here on Thursday (March 14).

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       The man was treated at the emergency ward of a government hospital on Jan 22, he said, adding the patient was allowed to return home the same day.

       “The second case involved an 18-year-old male student who experienced heat exhaustion while playing football,” said Dr Asits.

       The student received treatment at a government hospital on March 9 and was discharged from the emergency ward the same day, he said.

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       He added there were also no reports of snake bites during the hot spell.

       Towards this end, he advised the people to look after their health following a forecast from the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) on the hot and dry weather in many places in the peninsula and Sabah for the next seven days from March 13.

       “The Sabah Health Department has intensified their monitoring of health conditions during the hot spell to ensure treatment equipment and medical supplies are sufficient in every health facility.

       “We will also conduct promotional activities for the community as well as educating the people on ways of taking care of their health during the hot season,” Dr Asits said.

       He also reminded the public to consume sufficient water while at the same time reducing their intake of caffeine, alcohol or sugary drinks.

       “For those who are fasting during Ramadan, they must drink enough water, which is eight glasses a day, in between the period they break their fast up to sahur (pre-dawn meal),” he said.

       It is also advisable to utilise air conditioners or fans to cool down the body, he added.

       Besides that, he advised people to use light-coloured and loose clothing and said that hats or umbrellas could also shield the people from the sun.

       He said the public must also be attentive to the presence of wild animals such as snakes which would likely leave its habitat to seek cooler spots that have substantial food sources like human dwellings.

       Dr Asits said children and senior citizens are high risk groups that are more susceptible to health issues due to the hot season.

       “See a doctor immediately if you experience early symptoms of either heat strokes, exhaustion or cramps, or if you were bitten by a snake,” he said.