A doctor examines a woman with dengue fever at Quang Phuong communal health station in the central province of Quang Binh’s Quang Trach district.(Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNS/VNA) — The Ministry of
Health (MoH) will amend the on for dengue
patients in a bid to improve the effectiveness of treatment and reduce the
mortality rate caused by the disease.
The change was made based on research and experience on
treatment of dengue fever in centrally-run hospitals and recommendation by
international organisations.
Health facilities
were requested to review and adjust the procedures for receiving and
classifying cases.
Follow-up
examinations should be arranged in a way that is favourable to the patients.
Health facilities
were asked to monitor patients who are treated during public holidays and at
the weekends to detect and provide treatment to complicated cases and update
medical records.
Health facilities
need to maintain the operation of the “dengue fever treatment group”
and a hotline on dengue fever prevention and combat at medical facilities for
regular consultancy and exchange of information as well as offering support.
The facilities were
asked to stock enough equipment, medicine and blood for emergencies.
Centrally-run
hospitals should classify patients and transfer those with minor complications
to local hospitals to avoid overcrowding.
According to Dang Quang
Tan, deputy director of the Department of Preventive Medicine under the MoH,
the number of dengue cases has been decreasing, especially in the provinces
which are considered as hotspots such as Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Da Nang and HCM
City, over the past few weeks. However, he said, localities should not become
complacent.
Hanoi recorded between 200-300 cases of dengue fever per week in August but the
number of dengue fever cases increased to 400-500 cases in September.
Heavy rains in the city in early October raised concerns about
outbreaks, particularly in areas with many construction sites.
Statistics from Hanoi’s
Department of Health showed as many as 6,000 cases of dengue fever had been
detected in the city as of October 11, but no fatalities were recorded.
Tran Van Giang from the National Hospital for Tropical
Diseases said the peak time of year for the disease is between August and
December.
“Many people may be infected with dengue virus as this is the
peak period,” he said.
He advised that anyone
experiencing fever, headaches and other symptoms of dengue fever should go to
the medical facilities for examination and tests.
“They will be
monitored by doctors and receive treatment to limit the serious complications
of dengue fever,” Giang said.
HCM City recorded
nine deaths, including two children, caused by dengue fever in the first nine
months of this year.
The municipal
Centre for Disease Control said in September alone, the city recorded 8,128
cases of dengue fever, and most cases of those who lost their lives were
diagnosed and treated late.
The municipal
Preventive Medicine Centre advised locals to apply measures to prevent dengue
fever and hand-foot-mouth disease, including killing mosquitoes and washing
hands regularly.
Can Tho Children’s
Hospital, which receives children from the Mekong Delta provinces, are
overloaded with dengue patients.
In the first nine months of this year, more than 2,100 children infected were
hospitalised and there are more than 3,000 cases of outpatient treatment, up
2.2 times compared with last year’s figure, according to the hospital.
The central
province of Quang Binh also saw a sharp increase.
In the first nine months of the year, the province reported
5,300 cases, a five-fold rise from the same period last year./.
Source: VietnamPlus
