Health

Health Ministry requires hospitals to have isolation areas for monkeypox

SGGP 29/08/2022 09:10

Under the Ministry of Health's guidance, hospitals were instructed to carry out screening for people with or suspected of having monkeypox in the community or medical facilities. Hospitals need to put up signs at the entrance of medical facilities so that patients can immediately identify the direction to the screening area which should be located in the medical examination and emergency units.

Because of the complicated and unusual developments of the monkeypox epidemic in the world, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son has just issued Guidelines for the prevention of monkeypox infection in medical examination and treatment establishments. To prevent and control monkeypox infection in healthcare facilities, infirmaries should follow infection prevention and control practices, said the Ministry of Health.

In its guidance, the Ministry of Health has shown that according to the World Health Organization’s statistics, so far, 96 countries and territories have recorded more than 44,500 cases of monkeypox with 12 deaths. Notably, the vast majority of monkeypox cases are in locations where there have been no reports of the disease in history. At the same time, several Asian countries and territories such as Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan (China), Korea, China, and Japan have recorded cases.

Vietnam has not recorded any cases of monkeypox yet, but the Southeast Asian country is reopening to tourists and economic partners after the Covid-19 epidemic came under controlled, the country also faces possible risks of the monkeypox epidemic in the community and medical facilities.

The world has also recorded monkeypox infection in small health facilities. Therefore, the Ministry of Health stated that to prevent and control monkeypox infection in medical facilities, it is necessary to strengthen compliance with infection prevention and control practices. Medical workers should apply infection preventative measures when caring for confirmed and suspected cases.

For medical facilities that do not have the conditions to arrange an indoor screening area, they are possible to set up an outdoor screening area. Medical staff performing screening wear appropriate protective equipment such as medical masks, paper hats, epidemic gowns and medical gloves. The Ministry of Health notes that when screening, it is necessary to exploit the epidemiological history, signs, and symptoms of the disease. Hospitals should have an isolation room ready for use when detecting in-patients with or suspected to have monkeypox.