She ordered local administrations to thoroughly handle outbreaks to curb spreading especially intensifying disinfection in markets, schools, medical facilities and residential quarters.
She specifically stressed on raising people’s awareness and limit transferred cases to eliminate cross-infection in big hospitals.
From February, HCMC has recorded thousands of dengue infection cases. According to the municipal Department of Health, total infection cases have surged to 27,153, up by 165 percent compared to the same period last year.
Of total infection cases, 15,611 are inpatients, increasing by 153 percent year on year. Worse, five of them died of the disease.
Overcrowding of big hospitals in the city is now a common scenario.
The Tropical Disease Hospital admitted 5,799 dengue inpatients in six months; consequently, the infirmary had to arrange 30 addition beds in corridors meantime the Children Hospitals No. 1 and 2 and the City Children Hospital averagely receive 50 - 70 kids daily including severe cases.
Similarly, health authority in the southern province of Dong Nai fretted over 5,000 cases of dengue infection from the beginning of the year, tripling cases of last year.
Deputy Head of the Department of Health in Dong Nai Dr. Nguyen Huu Tai said the agency has applied measures but failed because of many migrant workers during urbanization.
Other health authorities in Dak Lak, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Khanh Hoa, Da Nang, Bac Lieu, An Giang, Binh Duong, Long An, Tien Giang, Vinh Long provinces are stressed with the illness.
According to the Ministry of Health’s figure, the country has had more than 96,000 dengue cases from the beginning of the year including 11 deaths. The Ministry pointed out hot weather and increased rainfall plus virus mutation were the culprit of more cases of dengue this year.
Head of the Department of Preventive Medicine Tran Dac Phu stressed that residents need to be vigilant to ensure dengue mosquitoes are not breeding on their property; therefore, health sector should spray chemicals in construction sites as well as raise people’s awareness of the ailment.
The Ministry has sent its urgent dispatch to provincial and municipal people’s committees asking to kill mosquitos and larva in July. Mosquito kill campaign must be carried out once a week in high risk areas and twice a month in other areas.
