Up to 60 percent of emergencies at Viet Duc Hospital during the Lunar New Year or Tet Holiday were related to alcohol.
Between February 14 and 19, Viet Duc Hospital received 831 emergencies, including 677 traffic accidents. Up to 60 percent of patients taken to the hospital due to traffic accident during this time were found to have used alcohol.
A traffic accident victim being treated at Viet Duc Hospital
Le Quang Chung, 25, from the northern province of Ha Nam was taken to the hospital on the morning of February 20 for multiple injuries. According to his relatives, Trung was in a traffic accident after attending a party with his old classmates where he drank alcohol. While driving his motorbike, he crashed into an electric pole.
Doctor Vu Van Ha, who treated Chung, said that he was now in critical condition and could possibly not survive.
Doctor Ha added that most traffic accident patients taken to Viet Duc Hospital came with serious injuries. Particularly the blood alcohol content presents difficulties in the treatment of these patients.
Apart from using alcohol, many people often do not wear helmets while driving a motorbike, adding more risks to traffic accidents.
During Tet Holiday, Viet Duc Hospital had to mobilize more than 40 surgeons daily for emergency cases.
According to the Ministry of Public Security, as many as 195 people have been killed and 199 others injured in 218 traffic accidents during the seven days of Tet.
The committee also reported that the number of traffic accidents, fatalities and injuries this Tet have decreased by 150 accidents with 8 fatalities and 218 injuries, respectively compared to that of 2017 Lunar New Year.
