Cold wave sends many to hospitals in northern Vietnam

Ta Huu Anh, deputy head of the Intensive Care Department at the National Geriatric Hospital in Hanoi on Monday provided an update on the increasing number of patients being examined and admitted due to sudden respiratory distress over the past few days, with many cases being severe.

He said there are currently 56 patients in the department, while there are only 51 beds available, which means some must share the beds.

“The number of patients is 1.5 times higher than normal,” said Anh.

Doctor Ta Huu Anh takes care of a critical patient at the National Geriatric Hospital in Hanoi on Dec. 25, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Thuy An

At Hanoi Medical University Hospital, Vu Quoc Dat, deputy head of the Department of Tropical Diseases and Harm Reduction, also reported an upward trend in patients coming for examinations and admissions with flu symptoms in the past two weeks, but so far, it has not recorded any critical patients.

However, Dat said if not detected and treated promptly, patients are still at risk of developing severe complications.

The number of hospital admissions in Hanoi due to conditions like stroke, internal bleeding, blood clots, cardiovascular issues… has increased by 10-15% at some hospitals compared to the previous month, with many patients aged between 30 and 50.

The same situation has been recorded at the E Hospital in Hanoi and the General Hospital of Phu Tho Province that borders Hanoi.

At Bai Chay Hospital in the northern Quang Ninh Province, home to Ha Long Bay, cases of acute stroke due to cerebral artery infarction have surged, with 15 cases in three days after the cold snap intensified from Dec. 22.

Nguyen Huu Thao, head of the Intensive Care and Toxicology Department at Vinh Phuc Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital in Vinh Phuc Province said that many children have been admitted to the hospital for seasonal flu, acute pharyngitis, acute bronchitis, and pneumonia.

Doctors said the increase in hospital admissions can be attributed to various factors, including the cold weather exacerbating respiratory issues, elevated blood pressure, cerebral artery infarction, and strokes.

Prolonged cold weather weakens people’s resistance to infections, they said.

Northern provinces and the north central region have experienced severe cold spell starting from Dec. 16, the longest since the beginning of this winter.

Temperatures across the north plunged to below 10 degrees Celsius on Saturday morning, with Hanoi recording 7-8 degrees. Ice and frost have been recorded in Fansipan and other mountain peaks.

Hanoi’s temperatures on Tuesday stayed at around 10-22 degrees Celsius. In the following days the daytime temperature are forecast to rise to 25 degrees, and 17-18 degrees at night.

Temperatures in mountainous areas such as Sa Pa will increase from 3-12 degrees to 6-18 degrees.