Ministry of Health warns of disease prevention due to record cold

The Department of Medical Examination and Treatment (Ministry of Health) warned on the morning of January 25 that unusually cold weather could seriously affect health, and requested medical facilities to strengthen cold prevention for patients.

The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting predicts that temperatures in the Northern and North Central provinces will continue to decrease, with many places falling below 0 degrees Celsius, warning of natural disaster risk at level 1. The Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management warns that the current abnormal weather conditions could seriously affect people's health, especially the elderly and children.

Elderly people are being treated at the Central Geriatric Hospital, mainly for heart-related diseases due to the cold weather. Photo: Le Nga.

In order to minimize the damage caused by natural disasters, the Department requires health departments and hospitals nationwide to strengthen cold prevention for people, especially patients and relatives who are being examined and treated at medical facilities. Medical units must have solutions to prevent cold in the waiting area, examination rooms, treatment rooms, and technical rooms. The treatment area for patients must be covered from the wind, have enough warm blankets, suitable heating and heat retention equipment.

Medical facilities are required to protect visitors from the cold, not letting them lie on cold floors or hallways, which can be harmful to their health. The medical sector must ensure that there are enough emergency medicines, hospital beds, and equipment ready to promptly handle common emergency cases in the cold season such as stroke, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, acute respiratory infections, viral respiratory infections, etc.

According to Hanoi Moi