Egypt's hospitals on alert to receive cases of heat-related illnesses

CAIRO – 24 May 2018: Minister of Health and Population, Ahmed Emad Eddin Rady, ordered on Wednesday all public and private hospitals to raise their alert level to receive any cases of heat-related illnesses, amid the hot weather wave that hit the country.

Chairman of the Egyptian Meteorological Authority (EMA) Ahmed Abdel Aal said on Monday that the country will witness a hot weather wave starting Tuesday.

Average summer temperatures are forecast for next week as the heat wave is expected to end by Saturday, according to Mahmoud Shahin, undersecretary of the Center for Meteorological Forecasts in the Meteorological Authority.

In the same context, a dermatologist and former head of the National Research Center, Hany al-Nazer, told Egypt today that people should take good care of their health while fasting during the heat wave.

He offered some important tips such as:

1.Girls and ladies should avoid getting out in the sun while wearing make-up and perfumes, as they can leave marks on the skin in such hot weather.

2. Assure good ventilation for homes; turn on an air conditioner or a fan.

3. Turn down the lighting to avoid feeling hotter.

4. Mothers should replace non-cotton diapers for their children with cotton ones at home.

5. It is recommended to shower with glycerol soap to maintain the health of your skin
At the beginning of Ramdan, Health Ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed said that there is no change in the working hours of governmental hospitals and emergency centers during the holy month of Ramadan, stressing that all facilities of the Ministry of Health will work normally.

"The availability of blood bags at all hospitals throughout all governorates was confirmed by hospital heads," he added.

The month of dawn-to-dusk fasting is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is observed by Muslim communities worldwide as the month of fasting that commemorates the first revelation of a Quran verse to Prophet Muhammad.
Additional Reporting by Walaa Ali