Seven dead: They may be casualties of the haze

As many as seven people may have died from haze-related illnesses this week, the most tangible toll of the acrid smog that has blanketed parts of the country since Aug 2.
The New Straits Times understands that six of them — five Malaysians and an Indonesian woman — had a history of respiratory illness and were elderly. The seventh victim complained of breathing difficulties on Sunday and was admitted to the University Malaya Medical Centre.
An 88-year-old man died yesterday, as did a 74-year-old woman. The woman had been admitted to UMMC the day before.
At Putrajaya Hospital, two men — aged 82 and 76 — were admitted after complaining of breathing difficulties on Sunday and Monday. They died several days later when the air pollutant index hit hazardous levels in the Klang Valley.
At the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital in Klang, two elderly men and an Indonesian woman died from respiratory illnesses.
Datuk Dr Ismail Merican, the Health director- general said that it was still too early to attribute these deaths to the current haze situation. But he did not discount the fact that elderly Malaysians with underlying respiratory illnesses were vulnerable.
He said that hospitals had been directed to document all deaths related to pneumonia, asthma and respiratory illnesses.
"This is to facilitate a retrospective analysis on whether there was any co-relation of these deaths to the haze," he said.
Millions of Malaysians in Klang Valley have been reeling from the noxious smoke for the past 10 days.
An emergency was declared yesterday in Port Klang and Kuala Selangor, forcing the closure of all government workplaces and schools after the air pollutant index there crossed 500. A reading of 300 or above is considered hazardous.
Today, the index — which measures polluting particles in the air — fell to 314 in Port Klang and 293 in Kuala Selangor.
Changing winds blew some of the haze out of the hardest-hit Klang Valley, which includes Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, revealing pale blue skies and a dim orange disc of the sun.
Latest statistics show that cases of asthma and respiratory illnesses have increased by 500 per cent in areas worst affected by the haze.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said today that eight clinics monitored by the Government registered an alarming rise in upper respiratory tract infections (URTI), asthma and conjunctivitis.
He said patients coming in to seek treatment for haze-related illnesses such as asthma, had increased as much as 550 per cent in Seremban, and up to 544 per cent for URTI in Ampangan.
Although the API had improved in some areas compared with yesterday, he said the ministry was ready for the stream of people who may continue to pour into clinics.
"It is clear that the cases have gone up significantly but the ministry has enough staff and medicine. We hope people will be careful and take care of their health as best as they can," he said after a visit to Tung Shin Hospital here today.
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