The Director of Media at Al-Najaf Al-Ashraf Health, Maher Al-Aboudi, announced today, Tuesday, that 129 cases of suffocation were recorded due to the dust storm that hit the governorate, while the hospitals in Diyala received ten cases.
Al-Aboudi stated in a statement received by "Video News Agency" that "the health institutions in Al-Najaf Al-Ashraf city received 129 cases of suffocation due to the dust storm, distributed between Al-Hakeem General Hospital with 52 cases, Al-Hurriya Hospital with 27 cases, Al-Najaf Educational Hospital with 36 cases, and Al-Qadisiyah Hospital received 14 cases."
He added that "the number of cases is still increasing as of now, but all cases are under control, and necessary treatment has been provided to the injured, including allergy and asthma medications, as well as oxygen for those who needed it."
In this regard, the General Director of Al-Najaf Al-Ashraf Health, Zain Al-Abidin Ali Al-Asadi, instructed this evening, Tuesday, all health institutions and emergency services to closely monitor emergency departments and increase the number of medical and nursing staff across various titles.
Al-Asadi confirmed the necessity of providing medications and treatments for asthma and allergy diseases, giving this matter the utmost importance to ensure a rapid response to emergency cases and to ensure the safety of citizens.
For its part, the emergency department of Baqubah Educational Hospital announced that it has received suffocation cases, with the number of incoming cases reaching 10 so far, coming from various areas.
It clarified in a statement received by "Video News Agency" that medical and health teams continue to provide necessary care and medical procedures for the incoming cases, according to the approved protocols.
The Iraqi Meteorological Authority stated on Tuesday evening that the country is affected by a wave of dust due to the advancement of a high-pressure system, predicting that the dust will move towards the western regions and Salah al-Din, then gradually extend towards the cities of Baghdad, Najaf, Karbala, and Nasiriyah.
The authority expected in a statement that the weather condition would persist for several hours, with gradual improvement in horizontal visibility during the coming hours.
It urged drivers to reduce speed, maintain a safe distance, turn on headlights, avoid overtaking when visibility is low, and stop in a safe place when dust intensifies and visibility diminishes.