Causes of dengue fever cases and deaths from dengue on rising are too late hospitalization and rainy season in rubber forests in the south region, said Dr. Luong Ngoc Khue, head of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment under the Ministry of Health in a talk with Sai Gon Giai Phong reporter yesterday.
Dr. Luong Ngoc Khue said that through inspecting, dengue fever infections and deaths are on rise especially in southern provinces having seen high rates of inhabitants contracting the disease and Binh Duong province is leading with most deaths.
The rise of the disease has gone along with the start of the rainy season – which is conducive for mosquito larva’s development. Additionally, mortality rate increased because people are taken to hospitals late.
Dr. Khue said that the Ministry has ordered medical facilities in districts must be quick in transferring dengue patients to big hospitals such as the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases, the National Children Hospital in Hanoi, the Central Hospital in Thua Thien-Hue province, the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in HCMC, Children Hospitals No. 1 and 2.
The hospitals must send personnel to medical facilities in districts to help them. They must assess the cause of each death and draw a lesson from a death to increase information to their counterparts in other hospitals.
The Ministry also asked hospitals to prepare personnel and medication, equipment for dengue treatment though Vietnam has not had vaccines and drugs against the disease, the health sector has good medicines and insurance company will pay for it.
Dr. Khue warned people to be active in preventing dengue fever by cleaning water containers in their houses and around the house premise which are places for mosquito to lay their eggs.
In addition, residents should go to nearby medical facilities for treatment when they experience fever, fatigue pain in muscles and symptoms of the disease. Especially, inhabitants in “hot spots” of dengue including HCMC, Dong Nai, Binh Duong provinces in the South Vietnam, and Khanh Hoa province in the Central must go to hospitals not treat themselves at homes when they suffer dengue symptoms.
According to the Ministry’s figure, the country has 43,000 cases of dengue fever, with 28 resulting deaths, in 53 cities and provinces in the first nine months of this year. In 2014, the country has around 32,000 dengue infections with 20 deaths.
