Hanoi (VNS/VNA) — The Ministry ofHealth (MoH) will amend the guidelines on diagnosis and treatment for denguepatients in a bid to improve the effectiveness of treatment and reduce themortality rate caused by the disease.

The change was made based on research and experience ontreatment of dengue fever in centrally-run hospitals and recommendation byinternational organisations.

Health facilitieswere requested to review and adjust the procedures for receiving andclassifying cases.

Follow-upexaminations should be arranged in a way that is favourable to the patients.

Health facilitieswere asked to monitor patients who are treated during public holidays and atthe weekends to detect and provide treatment to complicated cases and updatemedical records.

Health facilitiesneed to maintain the operation of the "dengue fever treatment group"and a hotline on dengue fever prevention and combat at medical facilities forregular consultancy and exchange of information as well as offering support.

The facilities wereasked to stock enough equipment, medicine and blood for emergencies.

Centrally-runhospitals should classify patients and transfer those with minor complicationsto local hospitals to avoid overcrowding.

According to Dang QuangTan, deputy director of the Department of Preventive Medicine under the MoH,the number of dengue cases has been decreasing, especially in the provinceswhich are considered as hotspots such as Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Da Nang and HCMCity, over the past few weeks. However, he said, localities should not becomecomplacent.

Hanoi recorded between 200-300 cases of dengue fever per week in August but thenumber of dengue fever cases increased to 400-500 cases in September.

Heavy rains in the city in early October raised concerns about dengue feveroutbreaks, particularly in areas with many construction sites.

Statistics from Hanoi’sDepartment of Health showed as many as 6,000 cases of dengue fever had beendetected in the city as of October 11, but no fatalities were recorded.

Tran Van Giang from the National Hospital for TropicalDiseases said the peak time of year for the disease is between August andDecember.

“Many people may be infected with dengue virus as this is thepeak period,” he said.

He advised that anyoneexperiencing fever, headaches and other symptoms of dengue fever should go tothe medical facilities for examination and tests.

“They will bemonitored by doctors and receive treatment to limit the serious complicationsof dengue fever,” Giang said.

HCM City recordednine deaths, including two children, caused by dengue fever in the first ninemonths of this year.

The municipalCentre for Disease Control said in September alone, the city recorded 8,128cases of dengue fever, and most cases of those who lost their lives werediagnosed and treated late.

The municipalPreventive Medicine Centre advised locals to apply measures to prevent denguefever and hand-foot-mouth disease, including killing mosquitoes and washinghands regularly.

Can Tho Children'sHospital, which receives children from the Mekong Delta provinces, areoverloaded with dengue patients.

In the first nine months of this year, more than 2,100 children infected werehospitalised and there are more than 3,000 cases of outpatient treatment, up2.2 times compared with last year’s figure, according to the hospital.

The centralprovince of Quang Binh also saw a sharp increase.
In the first nine months of the year, the province reported5,300 cases, a five-fold rise from the same period last year./.