Much more children hospitalized for respiratory diseases in Ho Chi Minh City

The number of child inpatients at the respiratory department of Children's Hospital 1 in Ho Chi Minh City has markedly increased to the extent that medical workers have added more beds along hallways.

Despite the added beds, the respiratory department at the District 10-based hospital remains overloaded by the inpatient spike.

Doctors and medical workers struggle to tend to each patient while the children’s relatives wrestle against the scorching conditions to take care of them.

The wave of annual respiratory diseases emerged earlier this year than previous years owing to the early monsoon season, which usually starts in August, according to Dr. Tran Anh Tuan, head of the respiratory department of Children's Hospital 1.

Family members take care of child inpatients at the respiratory department of Children's Hospital 1 in District 10, Ho Chi Minh City, June 2022. Photo: Xuan Mai / Tuoi Tre

The daily number of inpatients at Tuan's department has reached about 200 children since the beginning of May and even mounted to over 300 kids on some days, which is double the ward's capacity.

Most of the pediatric patients admitted to Tuan's department are under 12 months of age.

They suffer from moderate to very severe respiratory diseases.

Among these, many children require mechanical ventilation and intensive treatment for a long period.

As a quick fix, Tuan's department is prescribing home treatment and that patients with mild symptoms be admitted to other wards in order to ease the pressure.

A nurse gives advice to a parent on how to take care of his child, who suffers a respiratory disease, at the respiratory department of Children's Hospital 1 in District 10, Ho Chi Minh City, June 2022. Photo: Xuan Mai / Tuoi Tre

Many other pediatric hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi have also reported an increase in patients with respiratory illnesses.

The number of children under five years old visiting the City Children's Hospital in Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City for examination and treatment of respiratory ailments since early May to date has soared about 20-30 percent over the same period last year, according to Dr. Nguyen Minh Tien, the hospital's deputy director.

The corresponding percentage increase in the past two months at the pediatric and neonatal department of Thanh Nhan Hospital in Hanoi is about 150-200 percent, according to Dr. Nghiem Thi Mai Sang.

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