The number of stockpiled drugs ranges from 15 to 20 and botulinum treatment drugs are also included in this list.

According to Mr. Le Viet Dung, the Drug Administration of Vietnam is also meeting with the World Health Organization (WHO) to study the WHO's storage mechanism, how to have a connection between the storage of rare drugs, drugs with low supply in Vietnam as well as neighboring countries. Medical examination and treatment facilities across the country need to be proactive in building demand, forecasting the epidemic situation, as well as estimating the necessary quantity and purchasing drugs to ensure adequate response to treatment needs, especially for rare drugs.

Doctors at Cho Ray Hospital (Ho Chi Minh City) examine a patient with botulinum poisoning. Photo provided by the hospital

Recently, many patients have suffered from botulinum poisoning and there have been deaths due to the lack of Botulism Antitoxin Heptavalent (BAT) for timely treatment. According to the Ministry of Health, botulinum poisoning is poisoning caused by infection with the bacterial toxin Clostridium botulinum. This poisoning is very rare in Vietnam and around the world. The main cause is that patients are infected with bacterial toxins in poor quality food, eating poorly preserved food.

Because this disease is very rare, the supply of drugs to treat patients with botulinum poisoning is very limited in the world. Therefore, this is a drug that is not easy to proactively supply. The price of this drug is also very high (about 8,000 USD/bottle) and BAT is not currently on the list of drugs covered by insurance. To avoid botulinum poisoning, the Food Safety Department (Ministry of Health) recommends that food production and processing establishments must use ingredients that ensure food safety and comply with hygiene regulations in the production process. In the production of canned foods, strict sterilization must be followed. Consumers should only use food products and food ingredients with clear origin and source, and absolutely do not use canned products that are expired, swollen, flattened, deformed, rusted, not intact, or have unusual changes in taste or color.

Eat cooked food, drink boiled water, and prioritize eating freshly prepared and cooked foods. Do not package foods yourself and leave them for long periods of time without freezing. For fermented foods, packaged or covered in the traditional way (such as pickles, bamboo shoots, pickled eggplants, etc.), make sure they are sour and salty. When the food is no longer sour, it should not be eaten.

When symptoms of botulinum poisoning appear (abdominal pain, muscle pain, fatigue, blurred or double vision, dry mouth, difficulty speaking, difficulty swallowing, drooping eyelids, general muscle weakness), go to the nearest medical facility immediately for timely diagnosis and treatment.

MINH HA