Heat wave has hit northern localities in the past days. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - The Ministry of Health(MoH) has sent a warning to provincial and city-level health departments,hospitals and health centres about the need to strengthen the monitoring ofweather forecasts from the National Meteorological and Hydrological ForecastCentre and the implementation of medical examinations for people.
The official message was sent on July 3 by the Department of Medical Examination and Treatmentunder the MoH, in response to the increasing needs for medical examination andtreatment of harmful effects during the on-going heat wave in the north.
The move came as an increasing numberof patients have been hospitalised nationwide in recent days due to hot weather.
The Obstetrics and PediatricsHospital in central Nghe An province recorded almost 1,800 children coming formedical checks-up and treatment on July 2 and 3. Most of the cases werediagnosed to suffer from pneumonia, bronchitis, diarrhea and scarlet fever.
Director of Hanoi’s Dong DaGeneral Hospital Le Hung said the hospital received an average of 700-800patients for checks-up and treatment each day during the past week, 200 higherthan the figure in normal days. Elderly patients accounted for 70 percent ofthe total, he added.
The message specified that at medicalexamination centres, hospitals must maintain clear guidelines on theexamination process and uphold strict quality criteria.
Hospitals must have sufficient seats andadditional fans to ensure ventilation and cooling for patients awaiting medicalexaminations.
Hospitals also must provide air-conditioners (ifavailable); free drinking water to patients; medical examination desks andimprove the process of medical examination and reception to minimize patients’waiting time.
At hospitals’ treatment departments, dependingon the specific financial conditions, the hospitals will install electric fansor air conditioners to ensure patients stay in cool conditions and provide freedrinking water for patients.
Hospitals must minimise patient bed-sharing andisolate and control infections to prevent cross-contamination of infectiousdiseases in hospitals.
The hospitals must be able to supply enoughemergency medicine, beds and emergency medical facilities to handle urgentcases caused by the unusual heat wave such as heart disease, brain and stroke.
Hospitals will actively receive patients andtreat summer diseases such as dengue fever, foot and mouth disease,meningococcal meningitis and dangerous infectious diseases.
The official letter also stated that in thecourse of implementation, if any special situation happens, hospitals shouldreport to the Ministry of Health for timely handling.
According to forecasts of the NationalHydrological Forecast Centre, this summer, the average temperature in thecountry has tended to be higher than the average temperature in recentyears.-VNA
VNA
