HCMC prepares plans to deal with HFMD outbreak

HCMC – The HCMC Department of Health has formulated three plans to effectively handle the increasing number of hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) cases in the city.

Reports suggest that a significant portion, around 70% of cases, have originated from provinces such as An Giang, Tien Giang, Kien Giang, Hau Giang, Can Tho, Binh Duong and Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

In response to the shortage of medicine for HFMD treatment, the HCMC Department of Health has reached out to the Drug Administration of Vietnam, requesting additional medical supplies.

The department has devised three plans to deal with different levels of severity, with provisions for 50, 50 to 100, and 100 to 200 new cases per day, ensuring sufficient availability of inpatient beds.

Dr. Nguyen Minh Tien, deputy director of the Children’s Hospital in HCMC, said that in previous years, only 10-20% of HFMD cases came from other provinces. However, the current situation has seen a significant increase to 40-50% of cases originating from outside the city.

Doctors have advised parents to be vigilant about the initial symptoms of HFMD, including fever, skin rash on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, and buttocks. They urge parents to seek immediate medical attention for their children in such cases.

According to the Pasteur Institute in HCMC, the southern region has reported 9,028 cases of HFMD this year, resulting in the unfortunate deaths of four children.

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