Students in the mountainous area of ​​Quang Nam suffer from itching caused by scabies.

Students at schools in Nam Tra My have dermatitis – Photo: BD

At Ong Binh school, Tra Don commune (Nam Tra My, Quang Nam), dozens of children in preschool and primary school have symptoms similar to scabies.

Studying while scratching

Ms. Nguyen Thi Ty, in charge of the kindergarten section at Ong Binh school, said that children at this school constantly scratch when they come to class. The symptoms resemble scabies, which locals often call “water scabies,” appearing from the beginning of winter.

“On the body, especially in areas such as the ears and head, small, pus-filled boils appear. When they burst, they ooze fluid and give off a very foul odor. This phenomenon is not uncommon, but for people living in the highlands, it happens every season. At school, students are cleaned very carefully by teachers, but at home, they are not taken care of,” said Ms. Ty.

A volunteer who specializes in doing charity work for children in the highlands of Nam Tra My, Quang Nam said that for the past two months, wherever he went to a school in the mountains, he saw students scratching their heads.

Many children have a cluster of boils on their heads, these boils fester and stick to their hair, making them itchy and uncomfortable. Many children have boils on their heads, so their parents have to use scissors to cut off each area of ​​hair to make it easier to clean," said Nguyen Khac Nhu, a volunteer in Da Nang.

At Rang Chuoi school, Tra Tap commune, five students are also showing symptoms of skin disease similar to scabies.

On the outside, it is difficult to detect the sores and lesions on the skin, but when the teacher changed the children's clothes, she saw that many of them were covered with scars from healed scabies. Next, many areas of damaged skin were filled with pus, the sores spread from small to large and bursting with water, as big as beans.

Go to the place to guide people to wash and dry blankets

Scabies, exfoliative dermatitis… are common diseases that give headaches to teachers and medical staff in the highland residential areas of Quang Nam. The cause is clearly stated to be the humid weather that creates favorable conditions for pathogens to spread while the hygiene of the highland people is not given much attention.

Mr. Tran Trung Hau, head of Tra Vinh Commune Health Station (Nam Tra My District), said that currently many children in highland schools, especially in village 3 school, have symptoms of "scaly skin" disease.

“Every season, people get sick, especially children. During this season, the local health sector has to go to the places and homes to guide, propagate and explain thoroughly to the people.

We even have to bring soap and disinfectants to people's homes to show them how to wash their blankets and dry them in the sun and wind. However, many families do not do this carefully, so their children's illnesses cannot be completely cured," said Mr. Hau.

The head of Tra Vinh Medical Station said that a few days ago, he continued to send his team to the villages to distribute medicine and instruct people on how to clean their living areas, especially sleeping areas, clothes, and blankets.

“Just wash the blankets with soap and dry them in the sun to prevent germs from accumulating. Clothes, mats, and mattresses also need to be kept clean.

"When children or adults have dermatitis, pus, bad odor, and itching, use a diluted salt water solution combined with forest leaves and tea water to bathe," said Mr. Hau.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/hoc-sinh-vung-cao-quang-nam-khon-kho-voi-ngua-do-ghe-nuoc-20241204230326456.htm