Temperature 40 Degree Celsius Forecasted By Landa Malaysia, KKM Anticipates Health Impact

The landscape of skyscrapers in Kuala Lumpur, Saturday (2/3/2024). (ANTARA/Virna P Setyorini)

JAKARTA - The Malaysian Ministry of Health (KKM) has issued a health appeal to anticipate hot weather with a maximum temperature of up to 40 degrees Celsius which is predicted to hit seven states and one fellowship area.

Launching ANTARA, Saturday, March 2, Director General of Health of KKM DR Muhammad Radzi in a media statement accessed in Kuala Lumpur, Saturday, said his ministry carried out monitoring from Epidemic Sunday (ME) 1 year 2024 to ME 9 and found the cumulative number of diseases due to hot weather as many as 13 cases, and four of them were hit by hot attacks while the other nine were exhausted due to heat.

Seven health cases due to hot weather occurred in Perak, five cases in Kedah, and one in Sabah. And all these health cases, according to him, were caused by physical activity outside the building during hot weather.

Currently, there is one case of hot weather attack that must be treated in the intensive care room (ICU) and one case of fatigue due to hot weather being treated in the normal ward of Sultanah Maliha Hospital, Langkawi, Kedah. Meanwhile, 11 other people have received treatment and recovered.

Therefore, he said the KKM reminded the public to take preventive measures during hot weather, especially during Ramadan. Plan outdoor activities and avoid peak heat weather between 11.00 and 16.00 pm.

KKM urges the public to maintain at least eight glasses of water per day specifically for those who fast to regulate body temperature. As well as reduce drinking sweet, caffeinated, and carbonated water because it is not good for body hydration.

KKM also advises the public to often cool their body temperature with fans, air conditioning or frequent bathing.

Exposure to hot weather for a long time and lack of water can have a negative impact on health, especially for high risk groups such as children, the elderly, and people with chronic diseases.

He said symptoms of disease due to extreme heat ranging from headaches, fatigue, lack of concentration, dizziness, weak muscles or cramps and nausea. Conditions are increasingly extreme, which can cause dehydration, confusion and coma.

The Malaysian Meteorology Department (METMalalaysia) issued a hot weather status on Friday (29/2), and a number of states and regions were reported to be at Alert 1 Level with a maximum temperature of 35 to 37 degrees Celsius for three consecutive days.

The states include Perlis, Kedah, Penang, Perak, Selangor, Sarawak, Sabah, and the Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory.

Malaysia's MET also issued a hot weather status Level 2 Heat Wave Alert for the Basic Sena area in Kedah, with a maximum daily temperature exceeding 37 to 40 degrees Celsius for a minimum of three consecutive days.