Beware of alcohol poisoning.
In early February, Ba Ria General Hospital (Ho Chi Minh City) admitted 49 people with symptoms of severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting. Medical history revealed that all patients were employees of a bank who had attended a year-end party on January 31st. The food at the party was provided by GM Restaurant (Xuyen Moc commune, Ho Chi Minh City) and included dishes such as: sea snails, jellyfish salad with shrimp and squid, steamed chicken with shiitake mushrooms and bok choy, banh tet (Vietnamese sticky rice cake), pickled onions, prawns, and fish hotpot. After treatment, most patients were discharged and monitored at home. Culture results of several samples confirmed the presence of E. coli bacteria.
The patient was admitted to the emergency room at Ba Ria General Hospital (Ho Chi Minh City) after a company year-end party.
Recently, the Dong Thap Provincial Food Safety and Hygiene Department reported to the Food Safety Department ( Ministry of Health ) about a serious incident, suspected to be alcohol poisoning, that resulted in two deaths. According to the report, on January 29th, a group of five friends drank alcohol at the home of Mr. NVS (55 years old, residing in Dong Thap province). The following day, all five showed signs of fatigue and dizziness and were taken to Cho Ray Hospital (Ho Chi Minh City) for emergency treatment. Despite the efforts of doctors and nurses, two victims did not survive. At the scene, authorities found a bottle of liquor infused with crow's beak fruit and two bottles of liquor infused with reishi mushrooms.
According to health experts, one of the most worrying risks of food poisoning during Tet (Lunar New Year) is the overuse of alcohol. Besides the risk of methanol poisoning (industrial alcohol), which can be fatal, excessive alcohol consumption is also harmful to health. Furthermore, stockpiling large quantities of fresh food that is improperly stored or past its expiration date also poses potential health risks.
Ms. Pham Khanh Phong Lan, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety, advised people to only buy enough food for immediate use, avoiding waste and health risks; and to choose establishments with food safety certification such as supermarkets, convenience stores, and wholesale markets. For pre-packaged or processed foods, people should check that the packaging is intact, has Vietnamese labels, is within its expiration date, and check the import stamp for imported goods.
Be cautious with food of unknown origin.
Dr. Tran Quoc Cuong, head of the Clinical Nutrition Department at Thong Nhat Hospital (Ho Chi Minh City), expressed concern about the risk of food safety issues from street food during Tet (Lunar New Year) celebrations and festivals. Many attractive street snacks such as grilled rice paper, sausages, and grilled hot dogs can affect health if hygiene standards are not met, if the origin is unclear, or if the preparation is unsafe. “Therefore, when going out during Tet, each family should prepare their own food or choose reputable, clean restaurants; be cautious of food with unclear origins or signs of improper storage or unsafe practices,” Dr. Tran Quoc Cuong cautioned.
According to Dr. Pham Hoang Minh Khoi, Department of Internal Medicine 1, Children's Hospital 2 in Ho Chi Minh City, recently, medical facilities have received many children with food poisoning of varying degrees, from vomiting and diarrhea to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. In particular, children under 5 years old are more susceptible to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance than adults when experiencing food poisoning, and the risk of serious complications increases if treatment is delayed. Therefore, parents need to recognize and properly handle signs of food poisoning in their children, taking them to the hospital for examination, consultation, and timely treatment.
Dr. Pham Hoang Minh Khoi emphasized that each family needs to maintain habits to help prevent the risk of food poisoning: Wash hands thoroughly before eating and after using the toilet; eat cooked food and drink boiled water; avoid eating raw or undercooked food, food of unknown origin, or expired food; do not eat food that has been reheated multiple times; and use separate utensils for raw and cooked food.
According to Dr. Tran Quoc Cuong, head of the Clinical Nutrition Department at Thong Nhat Hospital, many Tet holiday dishes often contain excess energy, protein, sugar, and alcohol. This is very worrying for people with underlying conditions such as overweight and obesity, diabetes, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and gout. Therefore, patients must pay attention to their doctor's advice on nutrition, avoid foods that are bad for their condition, maintain physical activity, and monitor blood sugar and blood pressure. For children, it is necessary to limit sweets, sugary drinks, and eating out.
Strengthening the friendship between Vietnam and the United States.On July 3rd, as part of the Pacific Partnership - Friends of the Pacific 2026 program, the U.S. Army Pacific delegation, led by Lieutenant General Joel Vowell, Deputy Commander of the U.S. Army Pacific, paid a courtesy visit to the Quang Tri Provincial Military Command.
MINH KHUE
Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/an-tet-sao-cho-khoe-an-toan-post837984.html
