KUANTAN: The Pahang Health Department has confirmed that the boy, who was flown in a helicopter from Pulau Tioman to Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan (HTAA) here, was not suffering from heatstroke.
Its director Datuk Dr Nor Azimi Yunus said the eight-year-old boy was referred to the HTAA by the Tekek Health Clinic in Pulau Tioman at 11.45pm on May 3 after being diagnosed with meningitis.
The authorities concerned then mobilised an evacuation flight using a Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) helicopter to take the child to the hospital immediately.
"The patient sought treatment after experiencing fever, vomiting and fatigue for two days.
"The boy is being treated at the HTAA emergency department, following a CT Scan and blood sampling that found that the diagnosis was meningoencephalitis, which is an infection of the brain," he said in a statement here today.
Dr Nor Azimi said the patient, who is in stable condition, had been placed in the children's ward.
Earlier, a media portal reported that the child was flown from Pulau Tioman to the Kuantan Air Base before being taken to HTAA as he was believed to be suffering from heatstroke.
In his statement, Dr Nor Azimi also referred to the Malaysian Meteorological Department's (MetMalaysia) information that the daily average temperature in Pahang was less than 35 degrees Celsius and still under control.
However, the public is advised to always take precautions to avoid health issues due to the hot weather, and may monitor the heatwaves at https://www.met.gov.my/iklim/status-cuaca-panas/. - Bernama
