Nghe An: Elderly people and children flock to the hospital due to heat
(Baonghean.vn) - Hospitals have seen a rapid increase in the number of elderly people and children coming to see a doctor and receive treatment for heat-related illnesses such as flu, heatstroke, digestive disorders, etc.
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| At 9 a.m. at Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, many children are waiting for their turn to see a doctor. Photo: Ho Phuong |
These are diseases caused directly and indirectly by air conditioning and eating in hot weather for long periods of time.
50 children admitted to the emergency room
In recent days, in Nghe An, the prolonged hot weather has caused many people to get sick and have to be hospitalized for treatment.
At Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, the number of children coming for examination on April 22 was 1,309 (of which 369 children had to be hospitalized), on April 23 was 1,227 (202 children were hospitalized), on April 24 was 1,127 (164 children were hospitalized). The number of children examined, exceeded by more than 20% compared to normal days, the number of children hospitalized increased by 30% compared to normal days.
On the morning of April 25, many children were brought here by their parents for examination. The number of sick children had been decreasing for the past 3 days, but now it has increased again. As of 8:30 am, 447 children had been examined.
Doctor Nguyen Thi Thanh Ha - Head of the Examination Department said: Common diseases in children in this hot weather are viral fever, bronchitis, sore throat, otitis media, and diarrhea and dehydration. Over 70% of hospitalized patients are treated in the Departments of Gastroenterology, Respiratory Medicine, and Ear, Nose and Throat.
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| The hot weather makes the waiting time more difficult. Photo: Ho Phuong |
At 9am, many children had finished being examined, but outside the clinic lobby, there were still many parents holding their children, struggling to wait in the hot sun.
My child has had a fever for 3 days now and a constant cough. I bought medicine for him to take but it didn't help...
Ms. Tran Thi Hoa, 35 years old, in Dien Chau, while fanning her child, said: "He has had a fever for 3 days now, and is coughing continuously. I bought medicine for him to take, but it hasn't gotten better...
Parents' complacency in treating the disease and self-treating has made the children's condition worse. During the three days of April 22-24, up to 50 children with serious illnesses had to be admitted directly to the Emergency Department. Upon entering the department, many children had high fevers, convulsions, and cyanosis...
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| Doctor Nguyen Thi Thanh Ha examines a child with respiratory disease due to air conditioning. Photo: Ho Phuong |
Doctor Nguyen Thi Thanh HaRecommendation: In hot weather like now, parents need to pay attention to give their children enough water, enough nutrients, cooked food and boiled water and clean their bodies to prevent digestive diseases. Parents need to dress their children loosely, let them sleep in air conditioning at a temperature of 28-30 degrees Celsius. And especially, need to fully vaccinate children.
5,000 people flocked to the hospital
AlsoLike Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, Vinh City General Hospital is also full of patients on these hot days. Every day, there are about 1,700 patients coming here for medical examination, of which the elderly make up the majority.
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| Patients waiting in front of the ultrasound room at Vinh City General Hospital. Photo: Thanh Hoa |
Specifically: On April 22, the total number of outpatients was 1,769, with 160 hospitalized. On April 23, the total number of outpatients was 1,747, with 125 hospitalized. On April 24, the total number of outpatients was 1,795, with 130 hospitalized...
At 10:00 a.m. on April 25, in front of the Internal Medicine Department, X-ray and Ultrasound rooms, there were still hundreds of tired patients waiting their turn.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong, 68 years old, in Vinh city said: "We have to wait until noon anyway"!
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| Hot weather, treatment departments are full of patients. Photo: Ho Phuong |
Compared to normal days, the number of patients coming to the City General Hospital has only increased by about 8-10%. However, the number of patients coming here for emergency treatment is very large. The total number of emergency patients in the past 3 days is 169 people, the majority of whom are elderly. The main diseases are related to respiratory, digestive, food poisoning, and viral fever.
At this time, the hospital's examination and treatment departments were full of patients. Although the hospital tried its best to arrange ventilation fans and air conditioners, the large number of people present made the air still stuffy. In the small hospital area, it was estimated that there were about 5,000 people including patients, doctors and relatives present.
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| Doctor Nguyen Thi Thu Ha recommends: Elderly people need to eat nutritious food and pay attention to using air conditioning properly to prevent disease. Photo: Ho Phuong |
Prevention is better than cure - Doctor Nguyen Thi Thu Ha, Head of the Department of Tropical Diseases, recommends: In this hot weather, the elderly need to pay more attention to their health. Do not go out when the temperature is high; need to eat cooked food, drink boiled water, and have enough nutrients. When coming out of an air-conditioned room, pay attention to adapting, avoid sudden heat shock. People with chronic diseases should take full medication according to the doctor's prescription./.
