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Medical workers fret lacks of drugs for severe HFMD cases |
The delegation of the Ministry of Health led by Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Lien Huong, yesterday afternoon had a meeting to check the treatment and prevention of HFMD and dengue fever at the Children's Hospital 1, the City Kindergarten and the residential cluster at the alley in 491 Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street in District 3.
According to leaders of Children's Hospital 1, the number of children with HFMD has not increased, but the number of severe cases has skyrocketed and more children are being critically ill. The hospital leaders worried about the lack of two crucial intravenous drugs, Gamma Globulin and Phenobarbital, for the treatment of severe HFMD cases.
If the hospital uses Gamma Globulin according to the Ministry of Health’s guideline, the stockpile will be quickly depleted after only 1-2 weeks.
Experts from the Children 1, Children 2, City Children, and Tropical Diseases hospitals agreed to use Gamma Globulin deliberately and use more alternative medicine if the child has an infection. Medical workers will give severe HFMD cases, who need two doses of Gamma Globulin, one dose for further evaluation.
Hospital leaders suggested that the Ministry of Health should have regulations on transferring HFMD cases to the Children 1, Children 2, City Children, and Tropical Diseases hospitals to reduce pressure on large infirmaries so that patients can receive the best treatment.
A representative of the Drug Administration of Vietnam under the Ministry of Health said that the drug Gamma Globulin has 13 registration numbers in Vietnam, but after the Covid-19 epidemic, it is scarce globally. The drug is made from plasma, and the raw material is in short supply, so the manufacturer only produces according to pre-orders.
Currently, there are about 300 vials in the warehouse of Cho Ray Hospital and more than 2,000 bottles in the warehouse of a pharmaceutical company.
Around mid-August 2023, more drugs can be imported into Vietnam.
Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Lien Huong said that from December 2022, in its written request, the Ministry of Health requested health departments in cities and provinces to estimate the number of drugs.
The Ministry of Health will direct related agencies to search for suppliers and make licensing documents for rare drugs without a circulation number.
