Ministry of Health: Tracing the origin of alcohol that poisoned 5 people

The Food Safety Department (Ministry of Health) requested to stop circulation and trace the origin of alcohol products suspected of causing poisoning immediately after receiving news from Bach Mai Hospital about 5 cases being treated in emergency.

Một ca ngộ độc đang điều trị tại Trung tâm chống độc, Bệnh viện Bạch Mai. — A poisoning case is being treated at the Poison Control Center, Bach Mai Hospital.

The Food Safety Department under the Ministry of Health requested to stop circulation and trace the origin of alcohol products suspected of causing poisoning immediately after receiving information from the Poison Control Center - Bach Mai Hospital about 5 cases being treated at the Center due to methanol poisoning.

Among the 5 cases above, there is one case from Thai Nguyen and 4 cases from Thuong Tin, Hanoi, all drank the same type of wine from Thai Nguyen.

In an official dispatch sent to the Hanoi Department of Health and the Thai Nguyen Provincial Department of Health on July 24, the Food Safety Department requested the Thai Nguyen Department of Health to coordinate with the provincial Department of Industry and Trade to immediately stop the circulation of alcohol products suspected of causing poisoning.

Local authorities are tracing the origin of the alcohol product suspected of causing poisoning in the above incident, detecting and strictly handling violations of food safety according to regulations.

The Hanoi Department of Health coordinates with the city's Department of Industry and Trade to investigate and prevent the use and circulation of the above-mentioned alcohol products in the area. The Departments of Health of the two localities coordinate with the Department of Industry and Trade and local authorities to strengthen inspection, examination and supervision of food safety for alcohol production and trading establishments, focusing on small-scale alcohol production and trading establishments, especially craft alcohol brewing establishments; promptly prevent unsafely produced and mixed alcohol, alcohol of unknown origin, and alcohol without labels that pose a risk to consumers' health from being circulated on the market.

At the same time, strengthen information, communication and guidance for people to raise awareness and responsibility for ensuring food safety in alcohol production and trading, not to abuse alcohol and ensure safety when choosing and using alcohol; absolutely do not use strange animals and plants of unknown species and origin to soak in alcohol, do not drink alcohol of unknown origin or without labels sold on the market.

Previously, Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen, Director of the Poison Control Center, Bach Mai Hospital, said that 4 patients in Thuong Tin, Hanoi were hospitalized with headaches, blurred vision, severe metabolic acidosis, and very high blood methanol levels. In addition to eye damage, the patients are also at risk of brain damage.

Test results of alcohol samples that patients drank at a wedding in Thuong Tin, causing 4 people to be poisoned, showed that the concentration of industrial alcohol methanol was 34%.

The remaining case of a male patient (49 years old) was poisoned by industrial methanol. The type of alcohol this patient drank is suspected to be from the same source as the four patients mentioned above. This patient drank alcohol continuously for three days.

The patient arrived at the hospital in a coma, is currently on a ventilator, has severe metabolic acidosis, and has a very high level of industrial methanol in his blood.

According to Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen, industrial methanol when entering the body will cause damage, especially damage to the optic nerve and brain. However, it is very dangerous when there are cases of damage to the optic nerve and brain but no symptoms so they do not go to the doctor.

Source