Paediatrician: Children need to be protected not only from heat but also dust

Education Ministry direct school principals to postpone all sports events

By Rathindra Kuruwita

Health officials say a significant number of children are experiencing respiratory problems due to high levels of dust particles in the environment.

Consultant Paediatrician at Lady Ridgeway Hospital, Dr. Deepal Perera, advises that the elderly and pregnant women should also exercise caution. When the environmental temperature approached the body’s natural temperature of approximately 37 degrees Celsius, individuals tended to perspire more.

“It’s essential to replenish both sodium and water levels. Otherwise, you may experience dehydration, loss of appetite, nausea, body pains, and other symptoms that hinder productivity. Engaging in sports, under direct sunlight, increases the risk of heat exhaustion. Additionally, the high levels of dust in the air pose further challenges,” he said.

Meanwhile, Minister of Education, Susil Premajayantha, said the Education Ministry had instructed school principals to postpone all sportsmeets until after the Sinhala and Tamil New year.

Athula Karunanayake, the Director General of Meteorology, attributed the dry weather to El Niño. He noted that although some rainfall was expected between 21 and 24 March, but that would not be sufficient to alleviate the intense heat.