Rise in hospital admissions because of bad weather (Photo: SGGP)

The number of children and elderly people in many localities being hospitalized has kept increasing over recent days due to unfavorable weather conditions.
The Ho Chi Minh City-based Children Hospital No.1 were yesterday crowded with children suffering respiratory diseases. Head of Treatment Ward Dr. Pham Van Hoang said that the ward averagely received 4000-6000 children; 15 percent-20 percent of them having respiratory diseases.“
When outdoor temperatures are unusually low or it rains, there is a rise in hospital admissions periodically, said Dr. Hoang.
Rise in hospital admissions resulted in overcrowding. According to Head of the Respiratory Ward Dr. Tran Anh Tuan, cases of respiratory diseases usually spike from August to November, doctors and nurses are run off their feet to provide treatment.
The number of children patients with respiratory diseases in October tripled that in September.
Children in the hospital’s Respiratory Ward have to share their beds due to hospital overcrowding while others are forced to sleep on the floor due to a shortage of beds.
After self-medicating a few days, 72 -year -old Hoang Kim Thanh in Tan Binh District still suffered breathing problem; therefore, she was taken to thong Nhat Hospital for emergency treatment. She revealed she has suffered asthma for years; hence, when weather breaks, she has to be hospitalized.
In next room, 75 -year-old man Truogn Thuan in Binh Thanh District breathed difficultly because of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
Head of Respiratory Ward in Thong Nhat Infirmary Dr. Ngo The Hoang said after during one month, the hospital admitted more senior citizens who have pneumonia, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease , and asthma. These diseases have a significant impact on patients’ quality of life and leading to life-threatening problems; consequently, relatives of elder people should take them to hospital for emergency treatment.
Dr. Hoang said that statistically, the figure of elderly people visiting the infirmary these days surged by 30 percent – 50 percent.
When weather breaks or in season transition, old people especially those with weak resistance or certain underlying medical conditions will fall ill. Accordingly, elderly people should not go out, keep warm at nights. They’d rather have vaccine to increase their own resistance and have period medical check-ups, said Dr. Hoang .

By Thanh An – Translated by Anh Quan