The dangers of choosing a good day to go to the hospital

Hanoi Many people avoid going to the hospital on the full moon and new moon days, which not only causes overload but also makes the disease worse and endangers their lives.

On the night of the 27th of Lunar New Year 2023, Ms. Huong, 65 years old (in Dong Da), showed signs of fatigue, pale skin, purple lips, difficulty eating and walking. But her husband, Mr. Ly, refused to take his wife to the doctor for fear of "losing Tet". He thought "there is only one Tet holiday a year to gather together, I'm afraid that if I go to the doctor, the doctor will force me to be hospitalized".

After holding on until the 4th, seeing his wife increasingly emaciated, he and his children took her to the Emergency Department of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital. There, the doctor diagnosed her with severe iron deficiency anemia, diabetes and blood lipid levels three times higher than normal. The doctor said that if Mrs. Huong had been admitted to the hospital on the right day, she would have only needed to receive a prescription to take home. However, because she arrived late, her health was weakened, and her indicators were all at dangerous levels, she was forced to be hospitalized to treat complications.

Similarly, a 32-year-old woman, 39 weeks pregnant, was hospitalized with broken water, signs of infection, and a high fever because her husband delayed taking her to the hospital. Her family said that her water broke on the afternoon of the 29th of Tet, but her husband did not want to give birth at the end of the year because he thought it was unlucky and difficult to raise. Her husband also wanted to choose an auspicious time in the new year of Quy Mao, forcing her to lie still at home.

At the Central Maternity Hospital, Dr. Phan Chi Thanh said that upon admission, the patient's condition was critical, with an abnormally high heart rate and low amniotic fluid, threatening her life and requiring immediate surgery. The baby was born with respiratory disorders, rapid breathing, and neonatal infection. The infected mother had to be treated with high doses of antibiotics and closely monitored.

A 29-year-old pregnant woman also nearly died because she avoided surgery on the first day of the month. The patient had severe preeclampsia at 37 weeks of pregnancy but did not have surgery because she thought the first day of the month was unlucky and not good for the baby. The doctors firmly convinced her, stating that if she did not have surgery, she would lose the baby. Only then did the family agree to the surgery.

Many people have the habit of choosing a good day and good time to go to the hospital, leading to overload and pressure on medical staff. Photo: Provided by the hospital

On June 9, Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Van Huong, Head of the Examination Department, Hanoi Medical University Hospital, said that many people think of avoiding the 1st and 15th of the lunar month, and at the same time choose a good day to go to the doctor. This is a psychological trait that is deeply ingrained in the cultural life of Vietnamese people, when many people believe in choosing a good day and time to do important things. In particular, when going to the doctor, everyone has the expectation of not getting sick.

This leads to some days of the month being too crowded, and some days being too empty. "Although there are not too many full moon and new moon days in the month, it still puts a lot of pressure on the medical staff," the doctor said.

Mr. Huong added that the hospital also encountered a situation where people flocked to see a doctor in the morning, while the afternoon was less crowded, causing local overload. This led to difficulties in coordinating medical examination and treatment at the hospital, causing delays in treating patients.

In addition, choosing a good day can affect life, especially in severe cases such as myocardial infarction and stroke. For example, stroke progresses very quickly, the golden time is before 4.5 hours. "If you wait until after Tet or choose a good day to go to the hospital, it is easy for the patient to die or have serious complications that are difficult to recover," the doctor said.

Overloaded with patients, Viet Duc Hospital used the hallway to place beds, arrange air conditioners and fans, ensuring adequate treatment conditions in August 2022. Photo: Thuy An

The situation of choosing a good time is also common among many pregnant mothers, with the expectation of giving birth to a smart, talented child, compatible with the parents' destiny. Doctor Nguyen Thi Nha, Director of the Reproductive Support Center, Post Office Hospital, said that this is a misconception. Because giving birth is a dangerous stage, the doctor first bases on the condition and health of the pregnant woman, then considers the wishes of the family. For example, a pregnant woman with signs of premature labor still has to give birth, not because of taboos on the first day of the month, but postpones it to the next day. Or in the case of a mother with placenta previa, bleeding, preeclampsia, she must be hospitalized for a cesarean section immediately, otherwise the lives of the mother and child will be in danger.

According to doctors, full-term babies are guaranteed to be healthy and have a healthy weight, and the mother is also safe. Therefore, pregnant mothers should not be too superstitious or rigid in "forcing" the baby to be born as desired. When there are signs of labor, pregnant women need to be hospitalized, absolutely do not abstain or delay waiting for a good day.

Sharing the same opinion, Dr. Phan Chi Thanh, Department of Examination, Central Maternity Hospital, said that there is no exact data on the number of cases where families choose the time to give birth, but the rate is increasing and many children are "forced" to be born, leading to premature birth, pneumonia, and respiratory infections.

Illustration photo at noon and afternoon, or some days considered "bad", the hospital is very deserted. Photo: Provided by the hospital

To reduce the burden on hospitals, people can contact the hotline to make an appointment; especially the elderly, children, pregnant women, and those with underlying diseases should make an appointment to be given priority for early examination.

According to Dr. Huong, patients who need to return for a check-up can proactively go to the hospital in the afternoon, because these cases only need basic check-ups, consultations or prescription adjustments, and do not need to come in the morning. When there are abnormal symptoms, patients need to be hospitalized that day, and absolutely should not choose the time or day.

"Health is always the top priority, especially in treatment which needs to be as quick as possible," said the doctor.

Minh An

*Names of some characters have been changed

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