Saudi- MoH: Stay indoors during dust storms

(MENAFN- Arab News) The Ministry of Health issued a strong warning on Friday to patients with respiratory diseases to stay indoors to avoid the hazards of the dusty weather which has affected some parts of the Kingdom. The MoH has also alerted all health facilities to be ready to receive patients who are affected by the inclement weather.

A ministry official said that those most susceptible to the conditions include patients with asthma or chest infections and others who are allergic to dusts.

The Civil Defense advised motorists to drive carefully when the visibility is low noting that such weather conditions would continue until the middle of this week. Additionally the Riyadh traffic department has told motorists to follow the safety guidelines while the Saudi Red Crescent Authority has directed its ambulances to transport the sick to the nearest hospital.

According to Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (PME) weather forecast issued at 6 a.m. Friday the dusty weather conditions are set to prevail in the central and the eastern parts of the Kingdom along with a cool breeze. The places most likely to be affected by the bad weather include Al-Jouf the Northern Border Province Hail Riyadh Al-Qassim Makkah Madinah and the coastal areas. Fog is due to form during the night in the southwestern highlands and in some parts of the eastern region. Chances of rains are likely in the Riyadh region and the Eastern Province including Dammam Dhahran Alkhobar and Hafr Al-Batin.

The Ministry of Health has also opened its clinics on a 24-hour basis to attend to patients suffering from inclement weather conditions in the central eastern and other affected areas. The ministry had also advised all its health institutions to treat all walk-in patients who suffer from respiratory diseases on a 24-hour basis. The ministry has more than 2000 public healthcare centers which work in conjunction with major hospitals and government clinics in all parts of the Kingdom.

"A large number of patients were admitted following the sandstorm on Thursday in Riyadh" Dr. Bakry Mackeen a private medical practitioner at the Sun City Polyclinic in Batha told Arab News. 'We witness the influx of such patients not only during dust storms but also immediately after a rainfall following a long drought" Mackeen noted. He advised asthma patients to keep their inhalers handy. "It is advisable for these patients to meet their doctors and get early treatment to avoid unwanted complications" he said.

An official from the MOH said that the preventive medicine department is due to launch an awareness campaign to control infection caused by the changing weather conditions. "Such infection could be prevented if particular susceptible persons stay indoors during inclement weather" the official noted. He added that the Health Education Department of the ministry will carry out a campaign that seeks to save a large number of people who tend to become victims of the changing weather condition throughout the Kingdom.

Besides taking outdoor precautions he said that people must pay attention to personal hygiene such as washing their hands and face when they walk into their houses. "The house also should be airtight so that dust cannot penetrate into apartments and people should ensure blankets and mattresses are free of dusts" he noted.