Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam leads a team to inspect the prevention and control of dengue fever in HCM City on Thursday morning. — VNA/VNS Photo Đinh Hằng

HÀ NỘI — Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam has ordered authorities to clarify why many southern provinces have transferred dengue fever patients to HCM City for treatment. 

Data shows that the city is treating 580 cases of dengue fever, including 278 cases transferred from nearby provinces.

Đam said that if a shortage of medicine and medical supplies is blamed for the situation, urgent solutions to fix the situation will be issued.

“Sick people can't wait,” Đam said.

He also said that this year's dengue fever epidemic came early and the cases of infections increased sharply.

Although the number of cases has not yet reached its peak, it has already exceeded the total number of cases in the previous year, he said.

Relevant agencies must take measures to kill larvae and mosquitos to control the epidemic, he said.

The city has reported 10 deaths related to dengue fever so far. Củ Chi District has the highest number of fatal cases with three.

The number of deaths in the first six months of this year increased by seven compared to the same period last year, and by eight compared to the average in the 2016-20 period.

The city has reported 1,111 outbreaks so far this year.

Deputy Minister of Health Đỗ Xuân Tuyên said that the host of dengue fever is mosquitoes, so to cut off the outbreak, mosquitoes must be killed.

People must sleep under the mosquito net and kill their larvae, he said.

“Without the larvae, there is no dengue fever”, he said.

Fever dengue warning in the north

In a related movement, doctors have warned of an outbreak of dengue fever in the north after dozens of cases were reported.

Đỗ Duy Cường, director of Bạch Mai Hospital’s Centre for Tropical Diseases, said from the beginning of June until now, the centre has received and treated dozens of cases of dengue fever.

Most of them travelled from the southern region, he said.

It is expected that the number of hospital admissions in the northern region will increase in the coming days, he said.

According to Cường, the centre has received a 66-year-old woman from Hà Nam, who just returned from the provinces of Đồng Nai, Đắk Lắk and Gia Lai. She developed a fever.

She was then taken to Hà Nam General Hospital and diagnosed with unexplained fever and thrombocytopenia. After five days of treatment, her condition worsened.

The patient was transferred to the centre in a serious condition. Her platelet count was reduced to only six G/L and the haematocrit was rising. She showed symptoms of hemoconcentration accompanied by plasma leakage, peritoneal effusion, renal failure and elevated liver enzymes.

The patient was treated according to the protocol of the Ministry of Health. After five days of treatment, the patient's condition improved, her platelets gradually increased, symptoms stabilised and she was discharged from the hospital.

Another patient is a 17-year-old male student from Hải Dương Province, who just visited HCM City. After six days there he returned to Hải Dương, where he showed symptoms of fever, headaches, body pain, and red skin.

The patient tested positive for dengue fever at the Medical Centre of the district’s Ninh Giang District.

The patient was taken to the hospital’s centre when his platelet decreased to 20 G/L and symptoms of plasma leakage, bleeding gums, elevated liver enzymes and bleeding under the skin. After five days of treatment, the patient was discharged home.

The hospital’s centre also received a 38-year-old man. He is a driver operating from the north to the south. He drove from Long An Province to Lạng Sơn Province’s border gate. He was transferred to the hospital’s centre in a state of high fever and impaired consciousness. Test results were positive for dengue fever with signs of encephalitis-meningitis.

Cường said dengue fever with meningitis is a rare and severe complication. However, with prompt treatment, the patient can make a full recovery.

The driver was promptly resuscitated and treated. He currently has no fever and his platelets gradually increased again. He is expected to make a full recovery and be discharged in the coming days, he said.

Doctors recommend that people who visit southern or south-central provinces should go to a medical facility for testing and treatment if showing signs of sudden high fever and headache.

The aim is to avoid complications caused by dengue fever such as shock, multi-organ failure and bleeding.

People must actively apply measures to prevent mosquito bites when travelling to the southern or south-central provinces, including taking anti-mosquito cream, sleeping under a mosquito net and staying away from places where mosquitoes inhabit.

The centre has coordinated with units to prepare medical equipment, medicines and training for medical staff to cope with dengue fever as guidelines of the health ministry, he said. — VNS