Doha, Qatar: As temperatures in Qatar continue to rise across the country, the Hamad Injury Prevention Program (HIPP) at Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Hamad Trauma Center, a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center on Trauma, is raising urgent public awareness about the life-threatening dangers of leaving children or vulnerable individuals inside parked vehicles even for just a few minutes.
“The temperature inside a parked car can climb rapidly, even much higher than the outside temperature,” warned Tsoler Sekayan, Coordinator of the Hamad Injury Prevention Program. “Even on a moderately warm day, a vehicle’s interior can reach dangerous temperatures within minutes. This creates an extreme risk of heatstroke, high fever, dehydration, seizures, or even death, especially for young children.”
Sekayan stressed that young children, under the age of 5, are particularly at risk because their bodies absorb heat more quickly than adults. “Sadly, many of these incidents happen when children are unintentionally forgotten, or when they fall asleep and are left behind. It only takes a short time for a tragic situation to unfold.”
These risks are not limited to children alone. “Elderly individuals and those with chronic medical conditions or co-morbidities are just as vulnerable to heat-related illnesses as young children when left inside hot vehicles even for a short period,” said Sekayan.
She added that some children are unintentionally left in vehicles because they fall asleep or are forgotten by busy parents, guardians, or drivers especially when routines change or during stress. Children with special needs may also struggle to recognize or communicate danger, making them more vulnerable in these situations.
HIPP shares the following basic recommendations to prevent this from happening:
1. Always account for all children when exiting the car.
Before locking your vehicle, double-check that all passengers, especially young children, have exited. Young children may fall asleep or remain quiet, making them easy to overlook.
2. Search your vehicle if a child is missing.
If a child goes missing, immediately check inside your vehicle, including the trunk. Children may enter the car unnoticed and become trapped.
3. Use clear and obvious visual reminders to avoid forgetting a child in the car.
Place an essential item such as a phone, wallet, or handbag on the back seat near your child. You can also put your child’s backpack or lunchbox on the front passenger seat as a visual prompt.
4. Keep cars locked and keys out of reach.
Always lock your vehicle, even when parked at home, and store keys and remote entry devices out of reach. This prevents children from entering or starting the car unsupervised.
5. Don’t let children play with car keys or inside the vehicle.
Keys should never be given to children as toys. Talk to your child about the dangers of playing in or around vehicles and reinforce the importance of staying out unless accompanied by an adult.
6. Use child safety locks and educate children.
Activate child safety locks on car doors and windows. Teach your child not to touch control buttons or locks while in the car.
In case your child has developed any heat related illness symptoms such sweating, dehydration, confusion, you should take them to cooler area immediately and call 999 for guidance.
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