The Ministry of Health supervises the prevention of hand, foot and mouth disease in Ho Chi Minh City

• Sharing about the sharp increase in hand, foot and mouth disease in Ho Chi Minh City, Prof. Dr. Phan Trong Lan, Director of the Department of Preventive Medicine, said that the city and the Ministry of Health had scenarios for the current situation.

Recently, the Mission of the Ministry of Health led by Assoc.Prof.Dr. Nguyen Thi Lien Huong - Deputy Minister of Health as Head of the delegation visited and worked with a number of units in Ho Chi Minh City to monitor disease prevention in Ho Chi Minh City.

At the meeting at City Kindergarten (Vo Thi Sau Ward, District 3), the delegation checked the situation of infectious disease prevention for children. Receiving the delegation, Ms. Mai Yen Hang - Principal of the school said that even though it is summer break, the school still organizes activities and about 80% of children attend summer school. The disease prevention for children is also strengthened more closely.

Present at the school, the Deputy Minister and the delegation gave additional instructions on disease prevention for children such as temperature control, teaching children how to maintain hygiene, and washing hands. In particular, the school must pay attention to children with fever, red pimples in the hand, foot and mouth area.

At Children's Hospital 1, reporting to Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Lien Huong, Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hung - Director of the hospital said that the situation of hand, foot and mouth disease has increased sharply in the last 3 weeks, although it is not yet at this time. Peak season. In particular, the number of severe cases increased 2.5 times compared to previous years, and there were 4 deaths.

According to Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hung, in previous years, hand, foot and mouth disease did not increase until August and September, when children started entering the new school year. But this year up to this point the disease has increased, and may reach the peak of the epidemic in the near future. The disease is also progressive.

Especially, most of the hospitalizations come from neighboring provinces, in which many children are hospitalized when their disease status is at level 3.

He said, this is a seasonal disease and progresses quite quickly, many parents are subjective when they see that their children have only mild symptoms, so they do not take them to medical facilities for examination, when they are hospitalized, their children have become seriously ill.

Particularly at Children's Hospital 1 in recent days received more than 10 children with severe hand, foot and mouth disease requiring mechanical ventilation, while two weeks ago there was no case requiring intensive resuscitation. On June 21, the hospital received 5 consecutive cases of very severe hand, foot and mouth disease, being treated at the Intensive Care Unit for Poison Control. In addition, more than 60 children with less severe level are being treated at the Department of Infection - Neurology.

There are critical cases where breathing stops, doctors must combine many measures to save lives. For example, a 14-month-old girl was admitted to the hospital one week ago, with a low-grade fever for the first three days, erythema on hands and feet, and sore throat. After that, the baby's fever subsided, but he fell asleep or startled. On the 5th day, the baby was startled and struggled a lot when sleeping, the family took him to the hospital, but it progressed quickly leading to respiratory failure. The baby stopped breathing, the doctor intubated and transferred to the intensive care unit for mechanical ventilation with cardiovascular collapse, rapid pulse, low blood pressure, life-threatening. The doctor must use vasopressor drugs, anti-shock fluids, and emergency dialysis

Sharing about the sharp increase in hand, foot and mouth disease in Ho Chi Minh City, Prof. Dr. Phan Trong Lan, Director of the Department of Preventive Medicine, said that the city and the Ministry of Health had scenarios for the current situation. For the city, or hospitals, departments have plans, actively treat and coordinate with each other. In the worst case, the rapidly increasing disease can still meet the treatment needs of the patient.

However, he also suggested that leading experts in the field need to contribute more ideas and guidance to medical facilities to detect cases early to limit the severity of illness and death.

Preventing diseases for children from inside the school, limiting the spread and spread of outbreaks

Noting the actual situation in Ho Chi Minh City, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Lien Huong highly appreciated the treatment of hand, foot and mouth disease in particular and other diseases of Children's Hospital 1, helping to reduce complications and deaths. mortality in children.

The Deputy Minister said that with the current epidemic situation, the city needs to further strengthen the propaganda and education to the people. In particular, the Department of Health of Ho Chi Minh City must coordinate with the Department of Education to educate and prevent diseases for children at school. Limit the spread and spread of outbreaks in schools.

However, in the face of the situation that most of the cases are from neighboring provinces, the Deputy Minister said that hospitals, especially four infectious diseases hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City must support and coordinate with local hospitals to scientific and appropriate classification. At any level, the case should be transferred to a higher level, which case can be treated locally to avoid overcrowding.

The Deputy Minister also said that the Ministry of Health has coordinated with local ministries and sectors to participate in the prevention and control of hand, foot and mouth disease. As for the local facilities, they must actively prevent the disease, classify and classify patients, and support appropriate referrals.

* SOURCE: https://baophapluat.vn/bo-y-te-giam-sat-cong-tac-phong-chong-dich-benh-tay-chan-mieng-tai-tp-hcm-post479264.html