Faced with the unpredictable progression of respiratory diseases, the city's health sector has strengthened prevention and control measures.
Increased respiratory diseases at the end of the year
Suffering from necrotizing pneumonia, a 19-month-old patient (Binh Dinh province) was admitted to Children's Hospital 2 (HCMC) for treatment about a month ago. The patient's mother said that before that, the child had symptoms of cough, fever, runny nose, the local hospital diagnosed the child with pneumonia. After that, the child continued to cough for a long time, lost weight, the family decided to take the child to HCMC for examination.
According to Dr. Nguyen Hoang Phong - Head of Respiratory Department 1, Children's Hospital 2, the department currently treats 170 - 200 children. Every day, the unit receives about 30 children hospitalized for respiratory diseases. Children hospitalized for treatment are often in a state of respiratory complications such as cough, difficulty breathing due to pneumonia, bronchiolitis, asthma.
In addition, the department is also treating a number of children with underlying medical conditions and weaker resistance than other children.
In the last months of the year, the weather in Ho Chi Minh City and the southern provinces enters the transitional season. Temperatures drop lower than normal and the weather changes make children's respiratory tracts more sensitive. The rate of upper and lower respiratory tract diseases at this stage is higher than at other times of the year.
Statistics from Children's Hospital 2 show that in September 2024, the unit received inpatient treatment for more than 2,300 children with respiratory diseases, and the number of outpatient treatment for children was more than 42,600. By November, the number of inpatient treatment for respiratory diseases had increased to 2,886 cases, and the number of outpatient treatments was 61,530 children.
According to statistics from Children's Hospital 1, the rate of children with bronchiolitis in November increased sharply, higher than the same period in 2023, higher than the average in the past 5 years. In December, this rate may continue to increase.
Strengthening prevention and control of severe viral pneumonia
Faced with the unpredictable development of respiratory diseases, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health has requested medical facilities in the city to advise people coming for examination, treatment, or work at medical facilities to strictly wear masks in the premises of medical facilities. Medical facilities continue to prevent and control avian influenza in humans, and strengthen the prevention and control of avian influenza from spreading to humans.
The Department of Health assigned the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control to preside over and coordinate with medical facilities to monitor suspected cases of severe viral pneumonia (SVP) in the city in accordance with the Ministry of Health's instructions. Previously, the Hospital for Tropical Diseases received and treated a case of influenza A(H5) transferred from Long An province.
For prevention, Dr. Nguyen Hoang Phong recommends that parents pay attention to giving their children enough water as required, supplementing with vitamins and fruits. During cool weather like the end of the year, parents need to pay attention to keeping their children warm, keeping their living space and toys clean. Children need to wear masks when going out in crowded places. When children have symptoms of respiratory diseases such as mild fever, cough, runny nose, they should be taken to medical facilities for early examination and timely treatment.
