Hanoi prepares plans to deal with the increasing number of flu and measles cases

Faced with the risk of increasing seasonal flu and measles cases, the Hanoi People's Committee requested the Department of Health to direct relevant units to ensure patient reception, minimizing cases of severe illness and death.

Medical news on February 20: Hanoi prepares plans to deal with the increasing number of flu and measles cases

Faced with the risk of increasing seasonal flu and measles cases, the Hanoi People's Committee requested the Department of Health to direct relevant units to ensure patient reception, minimizing cases of severe illness and death.

Hanoi prepares plans to deal with the increasing number of flu and measles cases

On February 19, the Hanoi People's Committee issued Official Dispatch No. 539/UBND-KGVX on strengthening the prevention and control of influenza, measles and respiratory diseases.

Illustration photo.

The dispatch was sent to the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Hanoi city, relevant departments, public and private hospitals in the area, and People's Committees of districts, towns and cities.

According to forecasts, it is currently the Winter-Spring season, with monsoon climate and high humidity, creating favorable conditions for respiratory pathogens to develop, leading to an increased risk of seasonal flu and measles cases.

At the same time, at this time, the festival activities at the beginning of the year take place bustlingly, the demand for trade and tourism increases, causing many public areas, entertainment, recreation, and tourist areas to be crowded, increasing the risk of disease spread.

To proactively prevent seasonal flu, measles and respiratory diseases, the City People's Committee requested the Department of Health to closely monitor the epidemic situation, strengthen medical quarantine at Noi Bai International Airport and improve disease surveillance at medical facilities and the community.

The Department of Health is also required to review and prepare adequate medicines, supplies, medical equipment and facilities to promptly receive and treat patients, minimizing severe cases and deaths, especially for high-risk groups such as the elderly, pregnant women, children, patients in intensive care areas, surgery, artificial kidney, cardiovascular, etc. This agency needs to prepare a plan when the number of hospitalized patients increases.

In addition, hospitals need to strictly implement procedures for screening, triage, isolation and infection prevention, prevent cross-infection, and prevent outbreaks in medical facilities.

To improve the effectiveness of disease prevention and control in schools, the City People's Committee requested the Department of Education and Training to promote disease prevention communication through various forms such as Zalo parent/teacher groups and extracurricular lessons. Students with the disease must stay home from school and be quarantined according to the instructions of health authorities.

Kindergartens and primary schools need to ventilate classrooms daily, disinfect classrooms, cafeterias, and play areas, and coordinate with medical facilities to ensure students are fully vaccinated.

The Departments of Culture, Sports, Tourism, Industry and Trade and the Hanoi Industrial Park Management Board will coordinate with the health sector to organize environmental sanitation and disease prevention activities, especially in crowded areas such as industrial parks, tourist sites, markets, supermarkets and public areas.

People's Committees of districts, towns and cities need to monitor the epidemic situation in the area, develop timely response plans to epidemic situations, and at the same time effectively carry out vaccination work and inspect epidemic prevention work.

In-depth development of dental techniques, reaching international level

Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Cao Binh, Director of the Central Hospital of Odonto-Stomatology and President of the Vietnam Association of Odonto-Stomatology, said that the Hospital has developed 10 cutting-edge techniques, many of which are at world-class standards, such as microsurgery, orthopedic surgery, and application of 3D technology.

These techniques have become routine, contributing to retaining patients and attracting both foreigners and overseas Vietnamese to Vietnam for medical treatment.

In 2024, the Central Hospital of Odonto-Stomatology was licensed by the Ministry of Health as a specialized hospital. The initiative of submental intubation has been effectively applied in anesthesia and maxillofacial surgery.

The hospital has improved its capacity for medical examination and treatment and community oral health care, achieved many successes in prevention work and expanded the scope of care, especially for preschool children, the elderly and dental school students.

The hospital is currently highly appreciated by the dental community at home and abroad. Telemedicine activities have also been effectively implemented, helping people in remote areas access high-quality medical services right in their locality.

At the same time, the hospital also carries out examination, consultation and humanitarian surgery programs for thousands of children with cleft lip and palate deformities.

Regarding the application of information technology, the hospital has deployed electronic medical records at level 6/7, is cashless, and aims to become a smart hospital by 2026. The hospital also aims to become a high-tech specialized facility by 2027.

Appreciating the achievements of the Central Hospital of Odonto-Stomatology, Permanent Deputy Minister of Health Do Xuan Tuyen said that in recent years, the hospital has achieved many important achievements, making great contributions to the work of oral health care for the people and improving the quality of treatment. The hospital is not only a medical facility for treatment and health care but also a place for training, scientific research and prevention of oral diseases for the community.

“The hospital has pioneered the application of new techniques, performed many complex surgeries and trained highly qualified human resources, meeting the requirements of medical work in the context of international integration. Advanced treatment methods such as cosmetic surgery, implant surgery and treatment of complex diseases have helped improve the quality of treatment, reduce pain and recovery time for patients,” Deputy Minister Do Xuan Tuyen shared.

Deputy Minister Do Xuan Tuyen also requested the hospital to continue investing in training and improving the professional qualifications of medical staff. The hospital needs to improve the examination process to quickly and effectively meet the needs of the people, thereby improving patient satisfaction.

The Deputy Minister also encouraged the hospital to strengthen scientific research, apply advanced technology in treatment and promote health education and communication for the community, especially in oral health care. Regarding the direction of the level, the hospital continues to promote its leading role in the field of dentistry, actively transfer knowledge to lower levels, improve medical capacity for localities, and reduce the burden on upper-level hospitals.

In addition, Deputy Minister Do Xuan Tuyen also requested the hospital to speed up the construction of the second facility to soon put it into operation to serve the people.

Thyroid cancer screening detects large hole in heart

Ms. M., 52 years old, was being treated for thyroid cancer and accidentally discovered a large atrial septal defect. She had surgery to remove her thyroid gland and close the atrial septal defect.

Ms. Mai has never had a cardiovascular health check-up and has no symptoms related to heart disease. She went to have her thyroid checked and was assessed as having a thyroid nodule with TIRAD 5-6 (high risk of malignancy), a fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNA) diagnosed thyroid cancer, and was scheduled for total thyroidectomy.

During a preoperative echocardiogram, the doctor discovered that Ms. Mai had a large atrial septal defect, which affected heart function, with an enlarged right atrium and ventricle and moderate to severe pulmonary hypertension. The size of the defect was 25×17 mm.

According to doctors, atrial septal defect occurs when the septum between the left and right atria has a hole, allowing oxygen-rich blood from the left side of the heart to mix with oxygen-poor blood from the right side. This causes the right heart to work harder to push blood to the lungs, leading to dilation of the right heart chamber, heart failure, and arrhythmia in the long run.

Dr. Nguyen Anh Dung, who treated the patient, said that thyroidectomy for a patient with a large atrial septal defect and pulmonary hypertension is a big challenge, especially during anesthesia.

Patients may experience cardiovascular complications such as arrhythmias, heart failure, hypotension, and pulmonary hypertension. Respiratory complications include respiratory failure, bronchospasm, and pneumothorax. Other complications such as allergic reactions, nerve damage, and drug side effects may also occur.

The doctors worked closely together, calculating the right amount of anesthesia to avoid hypotension and reduced myocardial perfusion, while shortening the surgery time to limit blood loss. After more than an hour, the thyroidectomy was successful without any risks.

Two weeks later, Ms. Mai's health was stable and Dr. Phuc and his team performed an intervention to close the atrial septal defect. After analyzing the transesophageal echocardiogram, the doctor chose a large 36 mm instrument to close the defect. The procedure was successful after 45 minutes.

Ms. Mai recovered quickly and was discharged from the hospital after one day. Dr. Phuc assessed her prognosis as quite good thanks to the timely detection of the atrial septal defect, preventing complications of heart failure. All thyroid cancer cells were removed and she will continue to receive radioactive iodine treatment to reduce the risk of recurrence.

Dr. Phuc also emphasized that atrial septal defect often progresses silently and is difficult to diagnose when there are no obvious symptoms, so it is usually only detected in adults. Tam Anh General Hospital has treated many cases of congenital heart disease detected in people over 60, even 70 years old.

After atrial septal defect closure, patients need to take medication as prescribed, keep the surgical wound clean to prevent infection, maintain a balanced diet, avoid strenuous activity and heavy lifting for the first few weeks.

Gentle activities such as walking and breathing exercises will help improve blood circulation and support cardiovascular function. Patients need regular check-ups to monitor recovery and detect complications early.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/tin-moi-y-te-ngay-202-ha-noi-chuan-bi-phuong-an-doi-pho-voi-tinh-trang-tang-cao-ca-mac-cum-va-soi-d248001.html