Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long warned of the rising number of hand, foot and mouth disease patients nationwide, meanwhile, the dengue fever epidemic has continued ravaging many localities.

At a meeting of the Ministry of Health on August 25, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said that more than 51,000 people across the country have been contracted hand, foot and mouth disease so far this year, up 3% compared to the same period of last year. Luckily, no deaths had been reported. 

The number of hand, foot and mouth disease patients in HCM City is much higher than Hanoi and other localities, Long added.

Children under five are the most vulnerable to the disease which often breaks out in Vietnam between every March and May and September and October. These days, Paediatrics Hospital 1 in HCM City provides treatment to around 50-60 children per day who suffer from the disease, double the normal daily figure.

According to the deputy minister, the Ministry of Health has issued its instructions to cities and provinces nationwide to tighten control over the prevention of the disease.

Assistant Prof. Dr. Tran Dac Phu, head of the Preventive Medicine Department, said dengue fever cases had continued rising with more than 100,000 patients reported across the country, up 50% on-year, leaving 26 dead.

Hanoi has seen nearly 20,000 patients, topping the country and surpassing HCM City for the first time in the number of dengue fever cases so far.

He forecasted that patient numbers will increase between September and October which is considered the peak time of the epidemic annually.

Dtnews