According to the city's health department, 8,595 dengue patients had been recorded in HCM City as of the 23rd week of this year, up 131.2 per cent from the same period last year.
Between May 1 and June 12 alone, 766 dengue fever cases were hospitalised, including 324 from the city and 422 from other localities. There are 291 severe cases, up 77 from last year, though no dengue-related deaths have been reported.
To curb the outbreak, HCM City's Health Department has proposed a peak-month dengue prevention campaign and will host the 15th ASEAN Dengue Prevention Day. The focus is eliminating breeding sites, enhancing awareness, ensuring early detection, and mobilising community efforts.
The department has directed hospitals to intensify screening, ensure proper triage, and activate red alert protocols for timely emergency care. Facilities must also maintain sufficient equipment supplies, medicines, fluids, and blood products.
The children's hospitals and the Hospital for Tropical Diseases are responsible for retraining medical staff on the Ministry of Health's dengue diagnosis and treatment guidelines, emphasising early detection of warning signs and severe cases to ensure prompt care and lower fatality rates.
Residents are urged to actively prevent dengue by covering water containers, clearing stagnant water and waste around the home, sleeping under mosquito nets, and using spray sprays, coils, or creams.
Those with a fever should seek medical care instead of self-medicating and actively cooperate with health authorities during mosquito control and spraying campaigns.
