Medical workers run off feet with dengue patient overload

Medical workers have been run off their feet in these days when the number of dengue patients nationwide escalated to 71,000 cases with 19 deaths.
 
Two patients have to share beds (Photo: SGGP)
Two patients have to share beds (Photo: SGGP)
The figure shows a year-on-year increase of 24.8 percent and the mortality rate surged three people. Most infections are from southern province, accounting for 59 percent of the country’s whole cases.
Nevertheless, medical experts fretted because this year, it developed in Hanoi with more infection cases. Deputy Director of the Department of Health in Hanoi Hoang Duc Hanh said that Hanoi recorded additional cases of over 2,305 dengue cases last week bringing the city’s total infection number to 10,000, highest in the North and second highest in the country.
40 percent of ill people are students and immigrants. Because of skyrocketing number of dengue inpatients, large infirmaries in Hanoi like Bach Mai hospital, the National Tropical Disease hospital, the E hospital, the National Children and other facilities are overcrowded; accordingly, two or three patients have to share one bed.
Director of the National Tropical Disease Professor Nguyen Van Kinh said that the hospital sometimes admitted over 1,200 leading to severe patient overload; therefore, the hospital just received serious patients while slight people will be transferred to district-level clinics or given instruction to treat at home.
Thanh Nhan Hospital has seen a threefold year-on-year increase in the number of dengue patients; accordingly, patients had to share beds
Worse, medical workers said that many patients taken to hospitals are in the same family or those who shared a rented room.
Head of Bach Mai’s Infection Ward Dr. Do Duy Duoung said four family members were admitted in the ward. Worse, a person have been hospitalized several times to treat dengue.
Despite escalating number of dengue patients, locals and governments have been neglected it. Moreover, people refused to let medical workers to spray chemical in their houses.
Dangerously, some parents go to nearby drug stores to buy medication to treat their ill children at home. Dr. Do Duy Cuong warned that parents should not take fever reliever without stop. People should neither take fever reliever nor fluid transfusion at home without doctors’ recommendation.
Since there has been no vaccine or medication to treat dengue; people in the disease-struck area should go to medical clinics for early treatment.
Due to upward trend of dengue, People’s Committee in Ho Chi Minh City asked its sub-divisions to carry out mosquito-killing campaign. Chairpersons of district people’s committees will be held accountable in tackling the disease.
The Department of Health was asked to keep an eye on dengue development as well as ensure enough medication, medical equipment.

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