More than 22,000 establishments discovered violating food safety

A report from the Ministry of Health shows that in 2024, the health sector inspected a total of 354,820 establishments, of which 22,073 establishments were found to have violated food safety regulations, accounting for 6.22% of the number of establishments inspected.

Medical news on January 10: More than 22,000 establishments discovered violating food safety

A report from the Ministry of Health shows that in 2024, the health sector inspected a total of 354,820 establishments, of which 22,073 establishments were found to have violated food safety regulations, accounting for 6.22% of the number of establishments inspected.

More than 22,000 establishments discovered violating food safety

Notably, the number of establishments fined increased nearly 3 times compared to 2023, and the amount of fines also increased 1.69 times. The police forces prosecuted 62 cases (an increase of nearly 88%) with 97 defendants (an increase of more than 185%).

Authorities inspect food safety business establishments.

The Ministry of Health said that the system of legal documents on food safety is still being completed, in order to meet the increasingly strict requirements of state management on this issue.

At the same time, inspection and examination work has been adjusted, focusing on specific cases and with strong participation of all levels and functional sectors from the central to local levels. This has helped promptly detect, prevent and handle many violations.

However, the Ministry of Health also emphasized that current food safety inspection and post-inspection work still only partially meets actual requirements. The Ministry believes that it is necessary to step up propaganda about sanctions to change people's awareness of the importance of food safety.

With the strong development of information technology and e-commerce, online business forms are becoming more and more popular.

However, this type of business is characterized by no fixed business location and high anonymity, making it more difficult than ever to control the origin and quality of products.

The Ministry of Health proposed to strengthen inter-sectoral inspection and examination from the central to communal levels, focusing on product groups consumed a lot during Tet and festivals, products with high risk factors, food processing villages, as well as provinces with border gates and large cities.

Deputy Minister of Health Do Xuan Tuyen said that propaganda must be a fundamental solution, especially in changing people's awareness of sanctions. He also recommended that the fine level should be increased to increase deterrence for violating establishments.

Regarding food safety work, Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long highly appreciated the efforts of agencies in 2024, especially in drafting legal documents and strengthening food safety inspections.

However, the Deputy Prime Minister also pointed out that despite many efforts, there are still many limitations. Specifically, the number of food safety violations continues to increase and the number of people suffering from food safety-related diseases remains high.

The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that in 2025, food safety work needs to focus on prevention, strengthening inspection and supervision, and strictly handling violations when detected.

Authorities will have to coordinate more closely, not just from one agency but with the participation of the whole system, including key agencies in food safety management.

Regarding the drafting of legal documents, the Deputy Prime Minister directed that it is necessary to continue to amend and perfect the Food Safety Law and Decree No. 15/2018/ND-CP detailing the implementation of a number of articles of the Food Safety Law, especially issues related to pre-inspection and post-inspection.

One of the key points noted by the Deputy Prime Minister is the application of information technology and digital transformation in food safety management. The Ministry of Health will have to continue developing a food safety database and connecting data between ministries and sectors for more effective management.

In addition, communication on food safety must also focus on preventive solutions and sanctions, inspections and checks. The Deputy Prime Minister requested the ministries and branches that are members of the Steering Committee to study and propose amendments to relevant documents to strengthen sanctions against food safety violations.

The year 2024 has witnessed a strong increase in food safety inspection, examination and handling of violations. However, many problems still exist, especially in controlling online business forms and raising people's awareness of the importance of food safety.

In 2025, the Deputy Prime Minister requested ministries and sectors to coordinate more closely, increase propaganda, and apply technology to ensure food safety for people, while studying and amending sanctions to enhance deterrence and protect public health.

Ministry of Health recommends measures to prevent HMPV pneumonia virus

On January 9, 2025, in response to information about cases of pneumonia caused by the virus in China, the Ministry of Health issued important recommendations to help people proactively protect their health.

According to monitoring from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, there are currently many common respiratory pathogens, including influenza virus, human metapneumovirus (HMPV), RSV, and rhinovirus. Although the number of respiratory diseases has increased recently, this is a seasonal phenomenon and there are no unusual factors.

The World Health Organization (WHO) also noted that the number of acute respiratory virus infections in many countries in the Northern Hemisphere is increasing right at the time of winter. WHO affirmed that this is a natural seasonal fluctuation, and there is no need to impose trade or travel restrictions.

HMPV is a respiratory pathogen that is transmitted through droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or runs nose during contact. The virus can survive in the air and on surfaces, and then enter the body through contact. Common symptoms include fever, cough, and nasal congestion, and can cause serious complications such as pneumonia or bronchitis.

In particular, HMPV virus disease tends to increase in winter and spring, when the weather is cold and dry and monsoon. Those susceptible to the disease are children under 5 years old, the elderly, and people with underlying medical conditions that weaken the immune system.

To proactively prevent HMPV virus infection, the Ministry of Health has issued some important recommendations such as washing hands regularly with soap or antiseptic solution to remove bacteria and viruses from hands.

Wear a mask when in crowded places to limit exposure to droplets that may contain the virus. Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing to reduce the risk of spreading the virus to others.

Keep your body warm, especially in cold weather to improve your resistance. Eat cooked food, drink boiled water, and maintain a reasonable diet to improve your resistance. Vaccinate your children fully and on schedule to protect their health.

In addition, if symptoms are mild, people can stay home to rest, avoid contact and spread to others. In case of severe illness or in high-risk groups, it is necessary to go to a medical facility immediately for timely examination and treatment.

The Ministry of Health calls on people to proactively follow official information from health agencies to avoid panic and subjectivity. Along with that, people need to take measures to prevent infectious diseases in winter and spring, especially during the upcoming Lunar New Year and festival season.

The Ministry of Health has also directed units and localities to strengthen the prevention of infectious diseases during the winter-spring season and during Tet, to ensure public health and prevent epidemics at risk of outbreak.

With the complicated epidemic situation, proactive prevention of pneumonia caused by HMPV virus is very important. People need to fully implement personal health protection measures, and promptly update information from the Ministry of Health to stay safe during the upcoming festival season and Lunar New Year.

Almost in danger because of self-injection to treat back pain

108 Military Central Hospital admitted patient D.TS (60 years old, Bac Ninh) who was hospitalized with an infection after self-injecting painkillers into the lumbar spine. This patient came to the hospital because of back pain that lasted about a week.

Before coming to the 108 Military Central Hospital, the patient had been diagnosed with lumbar syndrome at a lower-level medical facility and had been treated but to no avail. Unsatisfied with the treatment results, the patient bought painkillers and injections at a private clinic on his own.

However, after about 2-3 weeks of injection, the patient began to have symptoms of abdominal pain spreading to the back, accompanied by a high fever that lasted for many days. The condition did not improve, so the patient went to the 108 Military Central Hospital for examination.

At the hospital, doctors performed a CT scan of the lumbar region and discovered that the patient had an aortic aneurysm. After examination and testing, doctors determined that the patient had an abdominal aortic aneurysm suspected to be caused by infection, a consequence of receiving painkiller injections at an unqualified medical facility.

Doctors at the Department of Cardiovascular Diagnosis and Intervention decided to place a stent to re-open the blood vessels and combine medical treatment for sepsis. This is an optimal intervention method, helping to reduce the risk of spreading infection and protect the patient's health.

Infectious abdominal aortic aneurysm is a dangerous condition that can lead to serious complications if not treated promptly.

The choice of treatment depends on many factors such as age, general health and location of the aneurysm. For patients with infectious factors, interventional treatment is preferred, as it helps to minimize the risk of spreading the infection and ensure patient safety.

After the intervention, patients can recover quickly and return to normal life in just about 24 hours.

Doctor Khanh, an expert from the Department of Cardiovascular Diagnosis and Intervention, 108 Central Military Hospital, recommends that when there are any unusual health symptoms, patients should go to specialized medical facilities for timely screening and treatment.

Self-treatment at unqualified facilities, especially painkiller injections, can cause serious accidents, complications and seriously affect health.

The doctor also emphasized that choosing a treatment method requires guidance from a specialist, and that one should not arbitrarily use drugs or intervene without full consultation.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/tin-moi-y-te-ngay-101-phat-hien-hon-22000-co-so-vi-pham-an-toan-thuc-pham-d240180.html