Vietnamese Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien ordered quick-response teams that cope with the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) must work around the clock.
The Health Minister gave statement at a meeting yesterday in Hanoi to review the plan to cope with the disease at present in the future.
On the same day, minister Tien instructed municipal and provincial governments to implement prevention measures against the disease.
According to the Preventive Medicine Department, the deadly disease is developing complicatedly and spreading fast in South Korea. Although Vietnam has not recorded any cases of infections, it is highly likely that the disease will enter the country because Vietnam has commercial exchange and tourism with South Korea and Middle East countries.
Accordingly, cities and provinces especially big cities Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City should apply necessary preventive measures against the disease as well as work out the plan in case infection cases occur. Health quarantine centers in international airport Noi Bai in Hanoi and Tan Son Nhat in HCMC must tighten control over measuring body temperature of passenger and issue medical declaration to passengers from Korea, Middle East nations and carry out investigation of what countries passengers have dropped by.
Fresher courses of MERS-CoV prevention and how to cope with the disease should be provided to medical workers in communes, districts. One of top activities is increasing information and warning to the community. Information of the disease should be updated to doctors and nurses, patients and their relatives.
Hospitals and quarantine centers should learn more about quarantine, treatment and how to prevent transmission of the disease to healthcare workers.
On the same day, the Ministry of Health sent its urgent document to localities asking to cooperate with management boards of industrial parks and export processing zones and construction sites where Korean and Middle East people are working on the prevention measures.
Management boards have to ask those return from MERS-Cov-stricken areas must fill out the medical declaration in border gates and quarantine themselves in 14 days or they must inform medical centers so if they experienced symptoms of influenza.
