Associated Press HONOLULU — Volcanic smog over Oahu further taxed Oahu’s emergency rooms after the recent closures of two hospitals, emergency medical services officials said. ADVERTISING Volcanic gas emissions from the Big Island’s Kilauea volcano create vog. If the trade-winds
Associated Press
HONOLULU — Volcanic smog over Oahu further taxed Oahu’s emergency rooms after the recent closures of two hospitals, emergency medical services officials said.
Volcanic gas emissions from the Big Island’s Kilauea volcano create vog. If the trade-winds stop or if wind blows in the opposite direction, other islands such as Oahu experience the condition. Kilauea has been in constant eruption since Jan. 3, 1983.
“The vog contributed to quite a number of calls yesterday,” Dr. Jim Ireland, director of Honolulu’s Emergency Medical Services division, said Wednesday. “A lot of calls for respiratory complaints, headache, watery eyes.”
Vog can be problematic for people with pre-existing respiratory conditions. The long-term health effects of vog are unknown. Health officials warned those with respiratory disorders to stay indoors, drink plenty of water and avoid strenuous activity.
At one point Tuesday, when the vog rolled in, only two emergency rooms were accepting ambulance patients. Hawaii Medical Center closed two bankrupt hospitals in Ewa and Liliha last month.
Dispatchers received 254 calls on Tuesday — 32 percent more than a normal day, according to EMS.
Hospitals on Oahu were so busy that EMS was asked to bring in only those who were critically ill, Ireland said.
