According to Dr. Pham Thi Minh Phuong, Head of the Examination Department (Central Dermatology Hospital), these days, the number of patients with skin problems due to floods coming to the Central Dermatology Hospital for examination has increased significantly. The rate of patients has increased relatively, about 30% higher than in the dry season.
“When you have unusual skin problems, you should see a dermatologist early. In case you have to wade through rainwater, you should wash with a suitable cleanser and dry the areas between your toes and fingers…” - Dr. Pham Thi Minh Phuong recommends.
Dr. Vu Minh Dien - Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases - said that after floods, in these areas, water sources are often dirty and polluted due to waste from sewers, mud, dead animals... mixed into river water, streams, ponds and lakes.
Contaminated water sources create favorable conditions for bacteria, viruses and parasites to grow and develop, leading to the spread of pathogens. Diseases that are easily contracted include skin diseases (itching, pimples, foot fungus, athlete's foot, scabies, dermatitis, folliculitis, etc.), intestinal and digestive diseases (diarrhea, cholera, typhoid), eye diseases (pink eye, trachoma), gynecological diseases due to bathing in dirty water, etc.
In particular, after a natural disaster, children often experience physical difficulties such as the need for food and safety. This is followed by psychological difficulties such as fear, anxiety and sleep disorders, making children feel helpless and unsafe. If this condition is supported promptly, psychological trauma may not have formed and will not leave many risks.
The Ministry of Health recommends that people in flooded areas and those affected by storms absolutely do not use dead livestock and poultry as food or to process food. In case water sources such as drilled wells and open wells are flooded, they must be filtered and disinfected before use.
The Ministry of Health recommends that the Department of Health, the Food Safety Management Board, and the Food Safety Branch of the provinces and cities in the Northern region directly affected by storm No. 3 immediately implement a number of tasks, including for areas affected by floods and landslides that cause isolation, there must be a plan to ensure the supply of safe food, food, and drinking water; Encourage people to use processed foods, ready-to-eat foods such as: dry food, instant noodles, bottled water, etc.
The motto of the Ministry of Health is to clean the environment as soon as the water recedes; promptly collect and dispose of dead livestock, poultry, and animals; spray chemicals to kill disease-carrying insects in high-risk areas to avoid outbreaks of epidemics and infectious diseases; clean and treat water sources for drinking and daily life to ensure clean water for people.
