HCM City (VNA) - Doctors have urged the elderly andchildren in Ho Chi Minh City to stay out of the heat as temperatures haveclimbed in recent days.

The National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said thattemperatures in the city have ranged from 26 degrees Celsius to 35 degreesCelsius in the last few days.

The HCM City University Medical Centre said that 5,800 peoplesince last week had visited the centre for examinations because of hot weather,an increase of 10 percent compared to normal days and 6 percent compared to thesame period last year.

Most of the patients have respiratory and digestive problems orchronic diseases such as asthma and heart conditions.

Since last month, the city’s paediatrics hospitals have beenovercrowded.

The city Paediatrics Hospital 1 on April 17 was packed withparents and children. Since last month, it has treated nearly 5,000-6,000patients each day. Of the number, 80 percent had respiratory and digestiveproblems.

Paediatrics Hospital 2’s digestive diseases departmentadmitted 160 children for treatment daily, while only 120 children were treatedon normal days.

Dr Dinh Thac of the Paediatrics Hospital 2 told Sai Gon GiaiPhong  (Liberated Sai Gon) newspaper that food exposed to hightemperatures for a long period can become contaminated with bacteria, leadingto digestive disorders.

Thac said that air conditioners also contribute to respiratoryproblems, particularly when people frequently go in and out of cooled rooms togo outdoors.

Thac said that parents should use fans and air conditionersproperly and maintain food safety and hygiene.

Nguyen Viet Hau, deputy head of HCM City University MedicalCentre’s emergency aids department, said that older people in hot weatherconditions were more susceptible to stroke, especially when they are dehydratedand have an insufficient amount of salt.

When body temperature increases, heart, respiratory system, liver,kidney and especially nerves can be affected.

If people have symptoms such as headache, vertigo and perceptiondisorders, they should be brought to hospital, Hau said.

A cool gauze should be placed on many parts of their body toreduce the temperature, he added.

Older people should pay more attention to blood pressure and drinkenough water, he said.-VNA