According to the Ministry of Health , due to the increasing number of hand, foot, and mouth disease cases, although additional treatment drugs have been imported, the Ministry is still directing import facilities to ensure the supply of drugs meets the needs of hospitals in the coming period.
The Ministry of Health also requested that localities proactively develop plans for stockpiling and purchasing supplies and promptly report to the Ministry of Health in case of shortages to ensure treatment and prevention of the disease. Currently, the drugs used in the treatment of hand, foot, and mouth disease basically meet the needs of medical facilities. However, there has been a localized shortage of intravenous immunoglobulin infusions recently.
Hand, foot, and mouth disease is developing in a complicated manner in Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health)
According to the Drug Administration, immunoglobulin is a biological drug, produced from a special raw material: human blood plasma. Therefore, drug production is highly dependent on the supply of raw materials.
However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of patients donating blood decreased significantly, leading to a prolonged shortage of raw materials for immunoglobulin production. Consequently, the amount of medication produced was insufficient to meet global treatment needs.
As early as the end of December 2022, the Ministry of Health issued directives to medical facilities and drug importers to proactively forecast, order, and procure drugs in accordance with regulations to ensure sufficient supply for treatment. Simultaneously, the Ministry of Health continuously provided professional guidance, urged disease prevention and control efforts, and requested businesses to make efforts to find sources of supply for the treatment of hand, foot, and mouth disease.
However, while some facilities have proactively planned and procured medications, others have not been proactive in purchasing and stockpiling them. Furthermore, the hand, foot, and mouth disease situation this year is quite complex, with a significant increase in severe cases compared to previous years, leading to a sudden surge in demand for immunoglobulin.
According to reports, in about one month (from May 19th to June 18th, 2023), there were 5,383 cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease nationwide. In the first six months of 2023, the country recorded a total of 12.6 million cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease.
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