As summer temperature continues to rise, Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has stressed the importance of community members taking the necessary measures and precautions.

In a social media campaign, HMC has warned members of the public about the dangers of leaving children alone in vehicles. “Do not leave children unattended at parking slots,” it said.

“A child’s body temperature tends to rise five-fold of that of an adult, particularly in hot summer days. If exposed to excessive heat, a child might be subjected to an increased risk of dehydration, fever, convulsions, heat stroke, or even death,” HMC has cautioned. HMC has also emphasized on important measures to follow at beaches and swimming pools, in order to avoid risks of drowning.

HMC has advised to check weather condition before going to the beaches to avoid strong winds and high waves, that may cause danger, follow safety instructions while swimming in the beaches or swimming pools, always watch children while swimming and make sure that they swim only in designated areas for swimming, wear a swimming jacket while swimming or other safety equipment.

Also children must be taught how to swim in the swimming training centers and learn how to perform CPR (artificial respiration) technique to save others. Previously, Dr, Khalid Abdulnoor, Senior Consultant Emergency Medicine and Director of the Hamad International Training Centre at Hamad Medical Corporation, said that drowning is the third most important cause of unintentional injuries worldwide, as it stands behind 7% of those deaths.

Thousands of deaths are estimated to occur in drowning worldwide, and children and individuals with access to water are the most vulnerable groups. Child deaths increase annually due to drowning, as it is considered one of the main causes of death and severe disability among children in Qatar.

Dr. Abdulnoor noted that 90% of the total cases of drowning are among children aged 10 years and under, while the percentage reaches 70% of the total cases of drowning for children under 4 years.

He had stressed the importance of adopting precautionary measures to prevent accidents of drowning, including those related to swimming pools at home, where safety standards must be adhered to in terms of building tight fences around the pools, which in turn hinder children’s access to them in the case of parents not attending.

SOURCE: THEPENINSULAQATAR