KOTA KINABALU: During this hot season, one must be wary of not only the extreme heat but also snakes, says Sabah Health Department.
State Health director Dr Asits Sanna said with the hot weather, reptiles such as snakes and lizards would find ground such as housing areas to seek shelter from the heat and search for food.
“Reptiles like snakes would come out of their natural habitat to find shelter and areas with easy food access, such as residentials so everyone must be alert of their surroundings,” he said in a statement.
He said this in giving the latest statistics on heat wave-related cases between April and Aug 6 in Sabah this year.
Dr Asits said Sabah recorded 16 such cases during this period, with three incidents of heat cramps, 10 reports of heat exhaustion and three cases of heat strokes.
Of these, Beaufort recorded one case of heat cramp and three cases of heat exhaustion, Beluran (two heat cramps), Keningau (two heat exhaustion), Kota Kinabalu (four heat exhaustion and three heat stroke) and Putatan (one heat exhaustion), he added.
He said the latest case was on July 27 when a 14-year-old student from Kampung Kipouvo, Penampang, suffered from heat exhaustion after a sports event at school.
“The student was sent to a government hospital for treatment and was allowed to return home on the same day,” said Dr Asits.
In this respect, he said four districts namely Tuaran, Nabawan, Beluran and Kinabatangan were listed under heat wave zones on Aug 1, when the temperature recorded was between 35°C and 37°C for three consecutive days.
To prevent from being terribly affected by the heat, he reminded the public to drink sufficient amounts of water, reduce the intake of caffeinated beverages, alcohol or sugary stuff as these drinks are bad for hydration.
“Cut down on physical and outdoor activities when it’s too hot. Watch and monitor your children’s activities and encourage them to drink more plain water and bring their own bottled water to school,” Dr Asits said.
He urged people to also use air-conditioning and fans to cool down, wear lighter, bright and looser clothes as well as putting on caps or using umbrellas to prevent direct sunlight when out and about.
He said heat waves would cause one to sweat more and get dehydrated faster, so it is best to be careful and take precautionary measures.
“Some examples of heat-related illness or symptoms are dry and hot feeling bodies, quickened heart beats, nauseous, giddiness, and even seizures as well as losing consciousness,” Dr Asits said.
He said children and the elderly are among the higher risk groups of being affected by the heat wave.
Those with any of such symptoms or anyone getting bitten by snakes must seek immediate medical attention, he said.
More details on this can be found via https://www.infosihat.gov.my/cuaca-panas.html.
