More than five million people on Borneo and Sumatra islands were directly exposed to the risks of a putrid haze coming off dozens of fires across the vast archipelago, according to deputy health minister Dante Saksono Harbuwono.Some 13,500 people were treated for respiratory infections in July and August, Dante said.Several schools had been closed intermittently and the haze has also made people in Singapore and Malaysia unwell."Vulnerable groups that must be evaluated are children, the elderly, pregnant women with asthma and outdoor workers," Dante said.NGOs have set up two shelters in Palangkaraya, the capital of Central Kalimantan on Borneo island, for babies and children affected by the haze, with more planned.The shelters, which can accommodate only five children at a time, were equipped with baby formula and oxygen tanks, medicines, and a playground. Katharina Abi, 30, brought her two small children, aged one and five, to one of the shelters on Friday as thick smoke blanketed their home."There's a lot of smoke at my house. In the morning it's not too bad, but in the afternoon and evening there's so much dust, like there's a fire nearby. It really bothers my breathing," she told AFP. "My children often have coughs and colds, maybe because there is a lot of smoke." 'Godzilla' El NinoDante said prolonged exposure to toxic air can cause serious longer-term health complications.