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Mekong Delta health sector concentrates on fighting against pink eye. |
The count of conjunctivitis cases in the Mekong Delta region has crossed 1,000 in a day.
Noticeably, many children have been taken to the Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital in Soc Trang Province for examination and treatment for pink eye in recent days. The number of cases increased sharply, mostly amongst schoolchildren in educational establishments.
Director of Soc Trang Provincial Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital Dr. Chung Tan Dinh said that from September 1 to September 20, more than 220 cases of children were taken to the hospital for treatment of pink eye. They had symptoms of redness, thick discharge, difficulty opening their eyes when waking up because of the sticky buildup of discharge on the eyelids, numbness and itchy eyes. Some severe cases have required hospitalization for treatment. Especially, from September 18 to 20, the hospital received 119 cases of pink eye.
According to a report from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in Ben Tre Province, from September 11 to 19, the province recorded 4,718 cases at 301 educational establishments, mostly in districts such as Ba Tri with 910 cases, Chau Thanh with 761 cases, Mo Cay Nam with 675 cases, Mo Cay Bac with 559 cases. In particular, the provincial CDC recorded the number of cases exceeding 1,000 cases on September 19 alone.
As a result, CDC Ben Tre recommended people proactively prevent and control pink eye by washing hands with soap, not rubbing their eyes, nose, or mouth, and not sharing personal items with people who are sick or suspected of being sick. If a person is sick or suspected of being sick, they should take time off from school/work to avoid infecting people around them and spreading it to the community.
According to the Department of Preventive Medicine of the Ministry of Health, pink eye is an eye infection, usually caused by bacteria, viruses or an allergic reaction, the typical symptom is red eyes. So far, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease, no specific treatment, and people who have pink eye can still get infected again after only a few months of recovery.
Facing the epidemic outbreak in the province, Deputy Director of the Department of Health of Ben Tre Province Duong Thi Nhu Ngoc requested medical examination and treatment facilities in the area to increase the early detection of suspected cases. District and city medical centers are fully stocked with drugs and chemicals, ready for pink eye epidemic prevention and control activities to minimize the risk of widespread spread.
Chairman of Soc Trang Provincial People's Committee Tran Van Lau has also signed and issued an express dispatch on strengthening the prevention and control of the pink eye, dengue fever and hand, foot and mouth disease. Accordingly, responsible agencies and localities are required to focus on drastically directing disease prevention and control, especially pink eye, dengue fever and hand, foot and mouth disease. Heads of agencies will be held accountable to the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee if the outbreak is left uncontrollable in their areas.
