Heat wave has hit northern localities in the past days. (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Health
(MoH) has sent a warning to provincial and city-level ,
hospitals and about the need to strengthen the monitoring of
weather forecasts from the National Meteorological and Hydrological Forecast
Centre and the implementation of medical examinations for people.
The official message was sent on July 3 by the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment
under the MoH, in response to the increasing needs for medical examination and
treatment of harmful effects during the on-going heat wave in the north.
The move came as an increasing number
of patients have been hospitalised nationwide in recent days due to hot weather.
The Obstetrics and Pediatrics
Hospital in central Nghe An province recorded almost 1,800 children coming for
medical checks-up and treatment on July 2 and 3. Most of the cases were
diagnosed to suffer from pneumonia, bronchitis, diarrhea and scarlet fever.
Director of Hanoi’s Dong Da
General Hospital Le Hung said the hospital received an average of 700-800
patients for checks-up and treatment each day during the past week, 200 higher
than the figure in normal days. Elderly patients accounted for 70 percent of
the total, he added.
The message specified that at medical
examination centres, hospitals must maintain clear guidelines on the
examination process and uphold strict quality criteria.
Hospitals must have sufficient seats and
additional fans to ensure ventilation and cooling for patients awaiting medical
examinations.
Hospitals also must provide air-conditioners (if
available); free drinking water to patients; medical examination desks and
improve the process of medical examination and reception to minimize patients’
waiting time.
At hospitals’ treatment departments, depending
on the specific financial conditions, the hospitals will install electric fans
or air conditioners to ensure patients stay in cool conditions and provide free
drinking water for patients.
Hospitals must minimise patient bed-sharing and
isolate and control infections to prevent cross-contamination of infectious
diseases in hospitals.
The hospitals must be able to supply enough
emergency medicine, beds and emergency medical facilities to handle urgent
cases caused by the unusual heat wave such as heart disease, brain and stroke.
Hospitals will actively receive patients and
treat summer diseases such as dengue fever, foot and mouth disease,
meningococcal meningitis and dangerous infectious diseases.
The official letter also stated that in the
course of implementation, if any special situation happens, hospitals should
report to the Ministry of Health for timely handling.
According to forecasts of the National
Hydrological Forecast Centre, this summer, the average temperature in the
country has tended to be higher than the average temperature in recent
years.-VNA
Source: VietnamPlus
