Proactive measures to prevent MERS-CoV

(Baonghean) - Along with Vinh City, Ky Son district is currently one of the two key areas in Nghe An province that need to strengthen MERS-CoV prevention and control efforts. The district has the Nam Can International Border Gate connecting with Laos, a route with many people from both countries and international tourists crossing the border (not to mention numerous other unofficial border crossings). Facing the risk of MERS-CoV entering the area at any time, Ky Son district has prepared response measures by establishing a Steering Committee, developing an Action Plan for the prevention and control of MERS-CoV, and organizing its implementation.

Dr. Luong Van Son, Deputy Director of Ky Son District Health Center, said: "Following the direction of the health sector and the district, along with preparing supplies of medicine and equipment for disease prevention, we are conducting training to improve the monitoring and disease prevention skills of lower-level health workers; guiding health stations to advise the People's Committees of 21 communes and towns to establish commune-level steering committees, along with the work of disseminating information to the people about the disease… With the characteristics of a large area, scattered population, many difficulties in life, and frequent cross-border visits to relatives, reaching and educating people about the disease is extremely difficult."

The working group from the Department of Health inspected disease prevention and control measures at the Nam Can International Border Gate (Ky Son).

According to the previously assigned plan, Ky Son General Hospital is the designated location for receiving, admitting, and treating MERS-CoV patients (if any) from the Nam Can International Border Gate and within the local area. At this time, preparations for receiving patients are complete. Dr. Moong Thi Tham, Deputy Director of Ky Son District General Hospital, stated: The hospital has arranged a special isolation area for patient admission and treatment. In the wards, ventilators and ultrasound machines are also well-prepared and ready for deployment and use when patients arrive. The hospital has also established an in-house emergency team and a mobile emergency team ready to coordinate with the Health Center and the international quarantine team when suspected patients appear.

In Vinh City, home to an international airport and near Cua Lo Port, with its high volume of people passing through, the prevention and control of MERS-CoV is more important than ever. Along with establishing a rapid response team and preparing sufficient medical supplies for epidemic prevention, the Vinh City Health Center recently organized a training course on preventing and controlling MERS-CoV infection. 80 participants, including health center staff, station chiefs, and specialized epidemic prevention officers from 25 health stations in the area, attended the course. Dr. Ho Huu Da, Director of the Vinh City Health Center, stated that the participants were equipped with basic knowledge such as: recognizing the symptoms of MERS-CoV; and guidance on monitoring and preventing MERS-CoV outbreaks.

Inspecting ventilators used in the prevention and control of the Mers-CoV epidemic at Ky Son District General Hospital. Photo: Thanh Son.

During the training session, the Health Center also implemented simulated scenarios in accordance with the plan of the Provincial People's Committee to practice handling them, namely: when no cases have been recorded in Vietnam; when a confirmed case of MERS-CoV has entered Vietnam; and when the disease spreads in the community… Through the training, the Health Center also directed health stations to advise wards and communes to use the FM radio system to strengthen public awareness about MERS-CoV, and to implement appropriate measures to prevent and control MERS-CoV according to the guidelines of the Ministry of Health; people should not be complacent about the disease but also not be overly worried.

Thanks to effective communication and counseling, people's awareness has improved. Ms. Nguyen Thi Binh, from Ha Huy Tap ward (Vinh City), whose two sons are working in South Korea, said: "Every day, my family regularly monitors the disease situation in South Korea through various information channels and learns about preventive measures. We call them to guide them on disease prevention measures such as maintaining personal hygiene, rinsing the mouth with antiseptic mouthwash, avoiding contact with people with respiratory infections, and avoiding contact with animals."

Nghe An province has a large number of people studying and working in countries experiencing MERS-CoV outbreaks, therefore the risk of infection upon their return cannot be ruled out. In implementing the province's MERS-CoV prevention plan, many wards and communes have compiled lists of families with relatives living, studying, or working in affected countries to plan outreach, counseling, and dissemination of disease prevention and control measures. The health sector is actively coordinating with mass media to raise public awareness about the disease, thereby strengthening surveillance and detection in the community.

Following the directives of the Ministry of Health and the Provincial People's Committee, the Nghe An Health Department has been directing its units to implement training and guidance on monitoring, diagnosing, and treating MERS-CoV as issued by the Ministry of Health. Dr. Nguyen Xuan Hong, Deputy Director of the Department of Health, stated: The department requires medical facilities to strengthen their emergency response teams, prepare medicines, chemicals, equipment, and plans for patient admission and treatment; district health centers are strengthening their epidemic prevention and control teams, preparing medicines, supplies, chemicals, and epidemic control plans, and enhancing surveillance and prevention in the community… With a high level of proactive epidemic prevention and control, the Nghe An Health Department is currently operating a 24/7 MERS-CoV epidemic response system.

Nghe An province is currently actively preventing and controlling the MERS-CoV epidemic according to the plan of the Provincial People's Committee in Scenario 1: "No cases recorded in Vietnam". All departments, agencies, armed forces, and localities are prepared and implementing prevention and control measures according to this scenario, as well as being ready to deploy measures to mitigate the impact of the epidemic on people's lives in worst-case scenarios such as the appearance of cases entering Vietnam, cases entering Nghe An province, and outbreaks spreading to the community.

Thanh Son