Drastic measures needed to contain dengue

The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee has asked the city’s departments and localities to intensify efforts to prevent dengue, which is developing complicatedly in the city and the southern region. 

The health sector was requested to increase the efficiency of operations of the municipal steering board for disease prevention, while hospitals and medical clinics were urged to prepare enough medicine and treatment equipment, and closely monitor cases to swiftly deal with small outbreaks within 48 hours. 

At the localities where the disease is risky to spread out, the health sector and local authorities need spray chemicals to kill mosquitoes and mosquito larvae, while speeding up communications to raise public awareness of dengue fever and its impact. 

According to the People’s Committee, as of mid-July, the southern region recorded 14,514 dengue cases, up 33 percent against the same period last year, of which 5,311 cases were reported in Ho Chi Minh City. 

Meanwhile, as of August 13, a dengue outbreak in Dak Glei district in the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum was controlled, with 38 out of the 39 patients discharged from hospital. 

Head of the district’s medical centre Dinh Thi Ai Nhung said that the most important thing to do to prevent dengue fever is to raise public awareness of complying with hygienic regulations and going for check-ups when seeing abnormal symptoms.-VNA