It said if detecting illegal entries, residents and health workers should immediately notify the police and local authorities.

HCM City has detected 14 people who illegally entered the country via the South-West border for medical treatment since early May, the centre reported on Thursday.

Among them, six cases were detected in residential areas and the others were detected when they came to local hospitals for check-ups.

These people usually travelled through trails or forests along the border, then took public buses or private cars to the city's hospitals.

Through medical declarations made by patients at the hospitals, medical workers detected these illegal entries.

Recently, the city's Children's Hospital No1 discovered four foreigners, including a couple, their two-month-old child and an interpreter, who illegally entered the country for medical treatment.

Doctors took blood samples of the four people for testing and took three adults to the quarantine area in Cu Chi District.

Customs officer check passengers at Vi Thanh bus station in Hau Giang Province. HCM City warns medical centres and the community to be alert to detect illegal entry cases into the city for medical treatment.

The baby was transferred to HCM City Children's Hospital for treatment and quarantine.

Test results showed that all four cases were negative for COVID-19.

The centre warned those with relatives living abroad and wanting to return to Vietnam for medical examination and treatment should comply with the entry-and-exit regulations, protective measures and quarantine to avoid the risk of COVID-19 infection.

It also called on the centres for disease control of the border provinces to coordinate with the border guard forces to prevent illegal entry.

On May 27, the city’s Department of Health sent a dispatch to all hospitals, medical centres and clinics, particularly centres hosting foreigners and immigrants, informing them in cases in which the immigrant has completed quarantine, they could be examined and treated as prescribed.

"Although all cases of illegal entry for medical treatment have been negative for COVID-19, this is one of the risks, we need to be vigilant to prevent it," said a centre official.  VNS

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