A doctor examines a dengue patient at the HCM City Hospital for Tropical Diseases. (Photo: VNA) HCMCity (VNA) - The HCM City People’s Committee has instructed districtleaders to monitor preventive action taken against dengue fever and Zika as thesouthern region enters the rainy season.
Itsaid relevant agencies should organise campaigns and encourage locals todestroy mosquitoes and larvae by clearing wastes in which water could collectto prevent the spread of the diseases.
Itinstructed the city Department of Health to follow the Ministry of Health’s directionsto closely monitor the spread of the diseases.
Thedepartment should also ensure there are enough drugs and other medical suppliesfor effective prevention of the diseases since the city is seeing outbreaks, itsaid.
Ithas been ordered to regularly report on the situation to the People’s Committeeand ministry.
Ithas also been ordered to collaborate with the city Department of Informationand Communication to strengthen public communication about preventive methodsto improve awareness and prevent the spread of inaccurate information to avoidpanic.
Accordingto the city Preventive Health Centre, there have been 233 cases of dengue inthe last two weeks, 6.9 percent higher than in the previous four weeks.
Thisyear there have been a total of 7,779 cases, almost unchanged from last year.
TheHCM City Hospital for Tropical Diseases has been admitting 20 dengue patientsevery day since late last month.
DrNguyen Thanh Phong, head of the hospital’s infectious diseases department D,said the number of patients is increasing with the rains.
Ofthe patients, several have been infected a second or third time because theirawareness of preventive methods is not high, he said.
Heexplained that there are four common types of dengue strains, and gettinginfected with one is no guarantee against contracting another kind.
Asecond infection is more serious than the first, he said.
Apatient from District 8 who is being treated at the hospital said it was hissecond dengue infection.
Helives in a house on the edge of the Doi Canal, a place filled with mosquitoes.
Sincehe had contracted dengue once earlier he thought he was immune and ignoredpreventive methods, he said.
Moredengue cases
Accordingto the Dong Nai province Preventive Health Centre, there have been 1,365 denguecases this year.
NhonTrach district has reported the largest number, 441, or 32.3 percent of thecases reported.
Thenumber is up by 77 percent from the same period last year.
Mostof cases have been in the communes of Long Tho, Phuoc Thien and Hiep Phuoc,which are mostly home to migrant workers. They live in dank rented roomswithout standard drainage systems and surrounded by rubbish.
Thecentre’s officials have sprayed chemicals two times so far this year to destroymosquitoes.
The centre has urged district health officialsto spread awareness of preventive methods.-VNA
Itsaid relevant agencies should organise campaigns and encourage locals todestroy mosquitoes and larvae by clearing wastes in which water could collectto prevent the spread of the diseases.
Itinstructed the city Department of Health to follow the Ministry of Health’s directionsto closely monitor the spread of the diseases.
Thedepartment should also ensure there are enough drugs and other medical suppliesfor effective prevention of the diseases since the city is seeing outbreaks, itsaid.
Ithas been ordered to regularly report on the situation to the People’s Committeeand ministry.
Ithas also been ordered to collaborate with the city Department of Informationand Communication to strengthen public communication about preventive methodsto improve awareness and prevent the spread of inaccurate information to avoidpanic.
Accordingto the city Preventive Health Centre, there have been 233 cases of dengue inthe last two weeks, 6.9 percent higher than in the previous four weeks.
Thisyear there have been a total of 7,779 cases, almost unchanged from last year.
TheHCM City Hospital for Tropical Diseases has been admitting 20 dengue patientsevery day since late last month.
DrNguyen Thanh Phong, head of the hospital’s infectious diseases department D,said the number of patients is increasing with the rains.
Ofthe patients, several have been infected a second or third time because theirawareness of preventive methods is not high, he said.
Heexplained that there are four common types of dengue strains, and gettinginfected with one is no guarantee against contracting another kind.
Asecond infection is more serious than the first, he said.
Apatient from District 8 who is being treated at the hospital said it was hissecond dengue infection.
Helives in a house on the edge of the Doi Canal, a place filled with mosquitoes.
Sincehe had contracted dengue once earlier he thought he was immune and ignoredpreventive methods, he said.
Moredengue cases
Accordingto the Dong Nai province Preventive Health Centre, there have been 1,365 denguecases this year.
NhonTrach district has reported the largest number, 441, or 32.3 percent of thecases reported.
Thenumber is up by 77 percent from the same period last year.
Mostof cases have been in the communes of Long Tho, Phuoc Thien and Hiep Phuoc,which are mostly home to migrant workers. They live in dank rented roomswithout standard drainage systems and surrounded by rubbish.
Thecentre’s officials have sprayed chemicals two times so far this year to destroymosquitoes.
The centre has urged district health officialsto spread awareness of preventive methods.-VNA
VNA
