Consecutive cases of botulinum poisoning occurred in Ho Chi Minh City but there was no antidote in reserve˳ In particular, there was a patient who died because he couldn’t wait for an expensive potion costing $8,000, the lack of an antidote made many people worried˳
Many experts believe that it is necessary to build a center to store rare drugs to promptly treat patients – Photo: BVCC
Increased botulinum poisoning?
In recent days, hospitals have recorded six consecutive botulinum poisoning patients after eating banh mi sandwich from a street vendor˳
Previously, in March 2022, there were also 3 clusters of cases with 10 people suffering from botulinum poisoning after eating pickled carp in Quang Nam˳
Dr˳ Le Quoc Hung – Head of Tropical Diseases Department of Cho Ray Hospital (HCMC) – said that according to statistics in the US, where the guarantee of food safety is the world’s top, but every year it still records received 150-300 cases of botulinum poisoning˳ Therefore, botulinum poisoning is not uncommon˳
In Vietnam it was previously unlikely to be diagnosed until 2020, when Cho Ray Hospital first diagnosed a cluster of botulinum cases caused by vegetarian pate˳ From there, hospitals can do diagnostic tests for botulinum poisoning˳
“Botulinum poisoning is not more than before, it’s that our diagnostic capacity in the early stages was limited˳ Now doctors know more˳
Second, the supporting laboratory tests are more modern, so we make the diagnosis easier˳
Therefore, the number of patients with botulinum poisoning every year may not be a sudden increase but due to the development of the diagnostic capacity of the Vietnamese health sector˳
Our diagnostic ability is better, so we can detect more cases, but so far, I think it still exists,” said Dr˳ Hung˳
Can’t wait forever for “aid”
On May 24, the World Health Organization (WHO) gave emergency aid to Vietnam with 6 bottles of BAT to treat patients with botulinum poisoning˳
From the date of admission, three poisoning patients had to wait nearly 10 days for an antidote to aid from WHO˳ In which, a 45-year-old patient died before receiving the drug˳ The other two patients at Cho Ray Hospital could not use it because the “golden time” had passed˳
Before that, Cho Ray Hospital had two bottles of BAT and transferred it to Children’s Hospital 2 to promptly save the lives of three botulinum poisoning children˳ These are also the last two vials of 10 drugs that have been supported by WHO since 2020˳
According to Mr˳ Dao Xuan Co – director of Bach Mai Hospital, stockpiling rare drugs and antidotes is an urgent matter that needs to be done as soon as possible˳
“The hospital has repeatedly asked the competent authorities to build a reserve center for rare drugs for emergency use˳
Firstly, these drugs have very few manufacturers and distributors, so it is difficult for hospitals to find their own supplies˳ Second, the purchase of reserves requires national contingency programs with a budget to implement˳ We must accept the destruction of medicine if not used˳
Rare drug storage centers can be located in central hospitals of major economic regions to promptly distribute and treat patients˳
Hospitals can rely on the situation of each disease to plan drugs, and the Ministry of Health has to stand out to import drugs, health insurance has to pay for these drugs, “said Mr˳ Co˳
Setting up storage centers in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi
Discussing at the Ho Chi Minh City National Assembly delegation on economic and social issues on the morning of May 25, Ms˳ Pham Khanh Phong Lan, head of the Ho Chi Minh City Food Safety Management Board, said that according to annual regulations Large hospitals that receive patients with poisoning such as snakebite, botulinum poisoning, etc˳ must make a list of rare drugs that need to be imported and send to the Department of Health˳
The Department of Health will approve and submit it to the Ministry of Health, then will approve the issuance of a registration number for the company to import˳
“Companies that import rare drugs mainly do the work, the quantity is small, the contract value is large, the profit is not much˳ Every year there is a delay in granting registration numbers, always afraid not to let the patients get sick˳ poisoning˳
Therefore, it is necessary to take national needs, recalculate the quantity, expensive but bearable˳ Should negotiate prices, negotiate so that companies have time to prepare˳ Besides, drugs can be brought back to be stored at two storage centers in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi,” said Ms˳ Lan˳
TIEN LONG
A person with botulinum poisoning died before the antidote could be administered
Source link: https://cocc˳edu˳vn/ngo-doc-botulinum-gia-tang-sao-mai-cho-thuoc-giai-vien-tro-20230525121712829˳htm
