VN takes action to contain pneumonia
HA NOI (March 19, 2003)— Viet Nam’s epidemic task force is working with schools, hotels, airports and other public places across the country to prevent the further spread of the killer pneumonia that has sparked a warning from the World Health Organisation.
According to the Ha Noi Health Preventative Centre, its quarantine force is working with the Northern Airports Authority to deal with potential carriers of the deadly disease that has killed at least nine people across Asia and Canada and infected about 150 others.
It said that the residential areas around Ha Noi’s Viet Nam-France Hospital, where the outbreak began last week, have been sterilised while the force was also closely monitoring people who are believed to be at risk.
People in the affected areas have been given surgical masks, nasal medicines, antibiotics and advice about the disease.
The hospital’s deputy director, Dr Vo Van Ban, said the outbreak appeared to be under control at the hospital, where 32 of the capital city’s 47 patients were infected – including the nurse who died last Saturday.
He said that one French doctor was now showing some signs of recovery, but four others were still in a very critical condition.
After the ministry released its official warning and outlined preventive measures on Monday, sales of surgical masks, nasal and oral medicines and antibiotics have reportedly surged in Ha Noi.
Three Japanese quarantine experts arrived in the city on Sunday and will work with local doctors to combat the disease over the next 10 days.
The Japanese Government has said it may provide Viet Nam with medical equipment to respond to the current situation.
Six French medics also arrived last Saturday with 10 ventilator machines, and 10 WHO experts are currently in Viet Nam to help identify the disease and prevent its spread.
Helen Louis, a resident WHO expert, said the organisation was co-operating very closely with the Health Ministry to combat the disease but it was too early to be optimistic.
Experts are racing against time to trace the cause of the disease and establish whether the new cases are related to an outbreak last month in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong that killed five people and infected about 300 others. — VNS
