200 heat-related cases this year

PETALING JAYA: Two hundred cases of heat-related illness had been reported in government health facilities nationwide, the Health Ministry reported.

Of the number, two people have died so far this year, said Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

He said that 52 cases (26%) were due to heat cramps, 126 due to heat exhaustion (63%) and 22 were due to heat stroke (11%).

“The ministry will continue to monitor heat-related illness nationwide,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Heat stroke occurs when the body’s temperature increases suddenly and it fails to sweat. The person’s temperature will increase to 41°C within 10 to 15 minutes. Heat stroke could lead to death or permanent disability if the condition is not controlled.

The first death involved a 23-year-old police cadet during a training exercise in Segamat, Johor.

The latest involved another trainee, also aged 23, who was undergoing the Basic Course for Young Army Volunteers at a polytechnic in Jitra, Kedah, on April 26.

There were also six cases of heat cramps reported involving trainees at the same course. All received outpatient treatment.