Trade Union Congress (TUC) President Obie Ferguson is resting comfortably today after he fell ill during the Labour Day Parade Friday and was taken to hospital.

Mr. Ferguson, who marched along with thousands of workers in Friday’s parade, had made it near to the parade route’s end at Arawak Cay when he began experiencing some discomfort.

He said that he was seen by doctors and discharged a short time later.

Initial assessments seem to suggest that Mr. Ferguson may have suffered from heat exhaustion.

“It was extremely hot that day and it was a very long parade, so I think those two together may have led to me not feeling so good,” Mr. Ferguson said. “But, I have been resting and I am feeling much better.”

Mr. Ferguson told the Bahama Journal that he will undergo more extensive medical tests this week for more conclusive results.

Friday’s parade began at Windsor Park on East Street, travelled north along East Street then West on to Bay Street and ended at Arawak Cay.

With the official start of summer still weeks away, temperatures in the country have already begun rising.

Heat exhaustion occurs most often when a person is exposed to high temperatures and becomes dehydrated, usually from not drinking enough fluids.

It also can happen when large volumes of sweat are replaced with fluids that don’t contain enough salt.

In its most extreme form, heat exhaustion can lead to a heat stroke and even death.
Doctors advise that people limit their exposure to the heat and drink lots of fluids to keep the body hydrated.