The Department of Health in Ho Chi Minh City has sent an urgent dispatch to district subdivision offices ordering a close monitoring on retail sales of the cough medicine ‘Recotus’, after 20 school students suffered from poisoning from an overdose on October 4.
This poisoning case has raised public concerns on the rampant sale of drugs without doctor prescriptions.
The drug watchdog asked its subdivisions in all districts to closely monitor retail sales of the drug, especially students, as the drug is readily available without a medical prescription.
The health watchdog in HCMC is also working with the Department of Education and Training to implement preventive measures against the hand-foot-mouth pandemic, which is spreading faster than expected in Ho Chi Minh City.
Pre-schools in the City should help raise parents’ awareness to leave young children at home if the child experiences fever. Pre-school teachers must ask students to wash their hands regularly with soap and clean water. Every week school staff should tidy and soak toys with disinfectants.
Schools have also been ordered to inform district medical clinics of any hand-foot-mouth case immediately.
