Recommendations for strict implementation of Covid-19 epidemic prevention from medical facilities in Nghe An

Patients spike

When the cold weather comes, the number of children admitted to Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital increases to about 1,200 - 1,500 people/day. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Master, Doctor Dau Thi Hoi, Department of Examination, Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital said: At the beginning of the cold season, children often suffer from respiratory diseases, bronchitis, pneumonia, ear infections, sore throats, gastrointestinal diseases and diseases with epidemic tendencies such as viral fever, flu, chickenpox... Respiratory diseases alone account for about 70% of patients coming here for examination.

Children with respiratory diseases account for about 70% of patients visiting Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital. Photo: Thanh Cuong

To prevent cold-season diseases, parents need to pay attention to giving their children good nutrition, improving their physical condition and resistance; keeping children clean, especially their hands; and keeping children warm.

Master, Doctor Dau Thi Hoi - Examination Department, Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital

At the Provincial General Hospital, although the number of patients did not increase sharply, the number of severe cases increased significantly. In the hospital's Emergency Department, ambulances continuously came and went. Most of the patients were elderly. If on a normal day, the Department had about 160 patients admitted to the hospital; on this cold day, the number of patients admitted to the hospital was about 210 people/day.

Master, Doctor Nguyen Xuan Tan, Head of the Emergency Department, Provincial General Hospital said: When the weather changes from warm to cold, patients often suffer from respiratory diseases, bronchial asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic heart disease, and stroke. Patients with respiratory diseases account for about 20% of patients admitted to the department, and stroke is about 20-22 patients/day.

For people with underlying medical conditions, it is necessary to maintain health, avoid heavy work, and take medication as prescribed by the doctor. To prevent strokes and accidents, the elderly should avoid direct cold exposure and take blood pressure medication daily.

Doctor Nguyen Xuan Tan - Head of Emergency Department, Provincial General Friendship Hospital

Every day, about 20-22 stroke patients enter the Emergency Department of the Provincial General Hospital. Photo: Thanh Cuong

After 88 days without an outbreak in the community, on November 30, 2020, a number of infections were detected in Ho Chi Minh City.COVID-19New cases include cases 1342, 1347... What is especially dangerous is that these cases were transmitted from people quarantined after entering the country to the community.

The source of COVID-19 infection in Vietnam in general and Nghe An in particular is determined to be from people entering the country from epidemic areas. Those who entered the country legally were quarantined as soon as they got off the plane. However, there have been cases of COVID-19 patients who tested positive again after being cured. The latest case is patient D.Q.Nh. (Patient 1291) who tested positive again for SARS-CoV-2 when returning home in Quang Binh after a period of treatment in Ho Chi Minh City. Patient 1291 was found to be positive again on December 7.

According to scientists, the possibility of re-positive cases being transmitted to others is not high. However, COVID-19 is a new disease, so nothing can be said in advance. With the re-positive situation, on December 9, 2020, Nghe An was also "alarmed". At 2:00 p.m. on December 9, 2020, the Nghe An Provincial Center for Disease Control conducted an RT-PCR test for case 1244 (in Dien Loi commune, Dien Chau district). During the test, doctors and nurses discovered signs that this case was suspected of being re-positive for Covid-19. Immediately, the entire political and social system rushed to deploy epidemic prevention measures. Fortunately, the subsequent test result of case 1,244 was negative.

Staff at Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital measure body temperature of people entering and leaving the hospital. Photo: Thanh Cuong

With illegal entry cases - this is a big concern. It is very possible that COVID-19 will follow these people into the country. Information from the Vietnam Border Guard Command: The situation of illegal entry of Vietnamese people,escape quarantineWhen returning to the country, the situation is complicated. Some workers from Laos and China do not want to be quarantined so they illegally enter the country through trails and openings, some workers from Brunei illegally enter the country by sea. Illegal entry is mainly carried out through social networks and Zalo. The subjects contact each other using junk SIM cards and then hire motorbike taxis and taxis to transport people illegally. Notably, some subjects hide in cargo ships, fishing boats, and containers to enter Vietnam.

CommandBorder GuardVietnam warns: Prepare for the comingLunar New Year, the need to visit relatives of people in border areas is very large. Besides, the life of people in border areas still faces many difficulties, lack of jobs, especially during the off-season. Because of the need to make a living, people have, are and will find every way toillegal immigration...

Conducting medical classification and declaration at the Provincial General Hospital. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Strengthening disease prevention from medical facilities

At the end of the year, the cold season, many types of epidemics such as seasonal flu, A, B, and the risk of COVID-19 lurking have been and are a concern for the health sector in particular and the whole province in general. However, there is still a large number of people who are subjective. Many people go out, go to public places without wearing masks, do not keep distance, and limit contact. They are lacking awareness to protect themselves and the community.

Meanwhile, at medical facilities, the number of patients has increased, many of them seriously ill. The units themselves are preparing to organize many conferences and seminars, including major events, with a very high risk of infection...

Learning from the recent "outbreak" at hospitals in Da Nang city; to avoid spreading the epidemic, implementing the "dual goal" as directed by the Prime Minister, on December 4, 2020,Nghe An Department of Healthhas Official Dispatch No. 4420/SYT-NVY on the matterstrengthening COVID-19 prevention workat the medical facility.

Screening patients before entering the Examination Department, Provincial General Hospital. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Nghe An Department of Health requests Directors ofpublic and non-public medical examination and treatment facilitiesseriously implement: "Review and re-evaluate all epidemic prevention and control measures at medical examination and treatment facilities according to the directives issued by the Ministry of Health, the Provincial People's Committee, and the Department of Health on disease prevention and control.

Strictly implement the stepsscreening, screening, isolationand test all suspected cases; absolutely do not let people at risk enter the hospital; check departments with high-risk patients such as intensive care, geriatric treatment, hemodialysis, cardiology, respiratory... Strictly control people coming in and out, do not let or minimize the care of patients' families".

After the dispatch, many hospitals in the province have seriously implemented the steps of screening, triage, and medical declaration for patients and their relatives. However, many other units, due to many reasons (lack of human resources, inadequate entrance gates), are still letting people enter and exit the hospital; even in some units, hospital staff and relatives have not strictly implemented the wearing of masks to prevent disease.

Subjectivity towards the COVID-19 epidemic still exists even in medical examination and treatment units. The Department of Health needs to strictly conduct surprise inspections to rectify and strictly handle violating units./.