A doctor examines a child with hand-foot-mouth disease at the HCM City Children’s Hospital No 1. — VNA/VNS Photo Đinh Hằng

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Health has sent a letter to provinces and cities asking for more supervision on hand-foot-mouth disease treatment and control amid spike in infections.

The request, signed by Deputy Minister of Health Trần Văn Thuấn, was released after the country saw nearly 9,000 hand-foot-mouth cases this year in all 63 localities and three fatalities in the southern provinces of Đắk Lắk, Kiên Giang, and Long An.

The number of cases reduced by 28 per cent compared with the same period last year, however, fatalities increased by two.

Southern provinces lead the list with 6,204 cases. Northern provinces have more than 2,000 whereas central provinces have 656 and Central Highlands localities, 130 cases.

To minimise fatalities, the health ministry has asked localities to implement a range of measures.

They must set up prevention and control plans and evaluate human resources, facilities, medical equipment, drugs, chemicals and medical supplies at all medical stations to ensure readiness to receive and treat patients.

They are responsible for monitoring patients at hospitals, especially during holidays and weekends to detect and treat promptly when the patients get worse.

Medical records must be completed in detail.

When patients have abnormal developments, they must be transferred to higher-tier hospitals in time.

Hospitals must be checked based on the health ministry's Decision No1003/QĐ-BYT issued on March 30, 2012 on the diagnosis and treatment of hand-foot-mouth disease.

Localities must strengthen preventive measures in hospitals, screen and classify patients and consolidate human resources for recuperation at provincial-level hospitals.

Main hospitals such as the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases, the National Children's Hospital, the Huế Central General Hospital, the HCM City Children's Hospital, the HCM City Hospital for Tropical Diseases are required to review human resources, facilities, medical equipment, drugs and medical supplies to receive severe cases transferred from lower-level hospitals.

Those hospitals should strengthen training and organise emergency teams ready to provide professional support to provinces when needed. — VNS