The worst haze in 15 years; peak in Jerusalem

Heavy mist prevails throughout the country from early morning, and besides the dust it also causes injuries, especially among sensitive populations and those suffering from respiratory problems.

According to the Ministry of Environmental Protection this is the heaviest dust storm in September in the last 15 years. Record pollution was measured in Jerusalem.

Such an event is considered very unusual for this time of year. High pollution values have been measured in air monitoring stations spread across the country.

Jerusalem has measured the highest pollution values with respect to all measuring stations in the country. The dust storm which originated in northeastern Syria will fade gradually, but tomorrow high values for pollution are still expected throughout the country.

The Environmental Protection Agency recommends to the sensitive population throughout the country, those suffering of heart disease, lung disease, the elderly, children and pregnant women not to stay in the open air or do strenuous physical activity.

The Ziv Medical Center reported that following the heavy haze, as of Saturday evening thirty asthmatic patients suffering from chronic respiratory problems have been treated at the medical center.

The emergency ward at the Ziv Medical Center in Safed has been abnormally busy since early morning, with conventional treatments as well as cases of patients arriving with symptoms of shortness of breath and coughing and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), of which one patient was hospitalized in very serious condition in intensive care respiratory and another patient hospitalized in the Internal ward. The children's emergency ward at the Ziv Medical Center received a first-grader of six and a half with difficulty breathing, was brought by MDA, following standardized testing and oxygen treatment he will remain in the pediatric ward for monitoring.

Among patients with breathing difficulties at the emergency ward is Yaakov Wald, 80, from Kibbutz Shamir, whose daughter Einat Levy, who works as a nurse in the kibbutz, gave him first aid and evacuated him to the emergency room.

The Medical staff was told by Wald: "I went to bed when the windows of the house were open. At 4: 00 am in the morning I woke up with severe shortness of breath and I called my daughter to help me and after the situation got worse we went to the hospital. I'm an active person, I walk and swim and yet the haze affected me." Wald was treated in the emergency room and received oxygen, and will remain hospitalized for supervision.

Ziv Medical Center physicians call on the entire population, especially people in high risk groups, to stay in air-conditioned indoors and avoid physical exertion. In case of breathing difficulties or deteriorated health condition due to the weather conditions they should be taken promptly for medical treatment in order to assess the situation and provide necessary treatment.

From early morning until 14:30, Ichud Hatzalah volunteers across the country have addressed 80 cases of respiratory problems due to the weather and haze.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!