MOH advises, MOE, MOHE have final say on haze-related closures - Dzulkefly

PARLIAMENT | The Health Ministry is only responsible for providing health advice regarding the closure of educational institutions due to haze, and the final decision rests with the Education and Higher Education Ministries.

“When the Air Pollutant Index (API) exceeds 100, the Health Ministry will issue advice recommending that all outdoor classroom, co-curricular, and sports activities be limited.

“Meanwhile, when the API exceeds 200, schools, kindergartens, and nurseries will be advised to close,” Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad told the Dewan Rakyat today.

Dzulkefly (Harapan-Kuala Selangor) was replying to Cha Kee Chin (Harapan-Rasah), who asked whether the Education Ministry or the state education departments consulted the Health Ministry before issuing school closure notices due to the current haze situation.

Dzulkefly (above) added that the Education and Higher Education Ministries also have their respective roles under the National Haze Action Plan, issued by the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry.

“Ultimately, the decision to close or not lies with Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek and Higher Education Minister Zambry Abd Kadir,” he said.

The Health Ministry also advised the public to reduce outdoor sports and recreational activities, remain indoors where possible, and wear face masks when outside, especially vulnerable groups.

Dzulkefly's response came after Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek's (below) announcement that school closures will only be implemented in areas where the API exceeds 200, with outdoor classroom activities suspended in localities recording an above-100 reading.

The update came after the Education Ministry, on Oct 8, lowered the threshold for closing educational institutions under its jurisdiction amid the worsening haze.

According to the previous guideline, all educational institutions under the Education Ministry in areas recording an API above 180 or above 150 for three consecutive days must close to protect the safety and health of students and education personnel.

Increase in haze-related illnesses

In the same reply, Dzulkefly revealed an increase in haze-related illness cases monitored through 78 sentinel health facilities nationwide.

During the 36th epidemiological week, upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) cases surged by 167 percent to 7,065, while asthma cases rose by 127 percent to 1,117.

Conjunctivitis cases also increased by 83 percent to 334 over the same period.

By the 40th epidemiological week, the Health Ministry recorded 5,613 URTI cases, representing an increase of nearly 60 percent, according to the minister.

To strengthen monitoring and preparedness for the surge in cases, Dzulkefly said the Health Ministry stepped up surveillance through the Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC) starting from the 32nd epidemiological week, from Aug 9 to 15.

The National Haze Operations Room was subsequently activated on Sept 4 to bolster monitoring, action coordination, and public health responses.

The Health Ministry has also added 841 adult AeroChamber units, 396 paediatric units, and 556 nebulisers to handle a potential surge in cases.

Dzulkefly stated that the Health Ministry is collaborating with the Environment Department, the Meteorological Department, and the National Disaster Management Agency to monitor the haze situation and coordinate public health actions.

The public is also advised to monitor API readings in their respective areas and adhere to health advisories issued by the authorities.

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