Thick haze from Indonesian forest fires covering parts the country has prompted health authorities to put hospitals on alert for treatment of respiratory complications, an official said Monday.

"The directive was given out last week to ensure that hospitals and private clinics immediately treat patients with respiratory problems," a health ministry spokesman told AFP .

The move is meant as a precautionary measure following government reports that air quality had "badly deteriorated", the official said.

No reports of breathing problems directly linked to the haze have so far been received by the health ministry, he said.