Doctor Khai is consulting a patient at the Department of Nephrology and Urology Surgery - Andrology, E Hospital ( Hanoi ), morning of May 27.
Meeting the patient again at the end of May, Master, Doctor Pham Quang Khai, Department of Nephrology Surgery - Urology - Andrology, Hospital E (Hanoi), was stunned. The man was emaciated, had jaundice, a swollen face, and was tired because he could not go to the toilet.
A year ago, he discovered a large kidney stone, and the doctor prescribed lithotripsy to avoid blockage, with a 99% chance of cure. However, he refused because "folklore has its own way, painless and cheap". The doctor tried to explain to the patient but failed. The patient's determination forced him to compromise.
When he returned to the hospital, the man did not accept the results and asked for a re-examination. However, his kidney function was only below 10%, his creatinine index exceeded the critical threshold, and his kidneys were almost completely damaged.
"To live, the patient is forced to undergo dialysis three times a week, and cannot be treated with medication or surgery," the doctor said.
Similarly, a 45-year-old woman, who has had cirrhosis due to chronic hepatitis B since 2020, was prescribed antiviral drugs for treatment at home. Listening to an acquaintance, she searched online for "hepatitis medicine" with a 100% cure guarantee. The seller said the medicine was made from safe herbal ingredients such as licorice, artemisia, jujube..., and was not afraid of toxicity.
In addition, the pharmacy claimed that the medicine had been "passed down through three generations" and that its founder was a famous oriental medicine doctor. A dose of medicine costs 50,000 VND and does not cause fatigue, insomnia, or weight gain. After 5 months, she returned to the hospital for a check-up and was found to have severe liver toxicity and cirrhosis.
Traditional medicine or the belief in traditional medicine has been deeply ingrained in the Vietnamese people's psychology. In fact, traditional medicine is benign and effective if the dosage is appropriate for each person's physical condition and is certified by competent authorities. Physician Bui Dac Sang, Hanoi Traditional Medicine Association, said that the benefits of traditional medicine cannot be completely denied. Many traditional medicine and traditional medicine have been proven to be effective in treating or improving health and have been licensed for circulation. The certificate of traditional medicine is approved by the Department of Drug Administration, Ministry of Health , ensuring safety.
However, medicines advertised as "family heirlooms", "my family for three generations", "cures all diseases" without the need for direct medical examination are still flooding the market. Manufacturers often mix many ingredients to increase effectiveness, such as diabetes treatment substances that have been banned since the 70s, anti-inflammatory pain relievers (corticoids). Some herbal medicines contain toxins such as arsenic, if not prepared properly, not completely removing toxins, or not in the right dosage, they also pose risks.
"Traditional medicine may not cause immediate death but may lead to a slow, silent death, so many people are subjective and easily fall into the trap," said Dr. Khai.
The situation of buying and using traditional medicine of unknown origin is very simple despite being warned. In 2022, Google removed more than 2,000 advertisements for "family medicine of three generations", "miracle medicine", "committed to cure diseases"... on Youtube.
Recently, a series of counterfeit drug production lines have been arrested, including both Western and Eastern medicines. On May 27, the Market Management Department of Ca Mau province discovered 257 oriental medicine products of unknown origin. Previously, Thai Nguyen provincial police discovered a number of subjects showing signs of using social networks to trade in counterfeit drugs, labeled as oriental medicine for treating bone and joint diseases, stomach and colon diseases. At the same time, the authorities discovered many types of finished and semi-finished drugs, mainly drugs for treating bone and joint diseases, of unknown origin.
Explaining the reason why fake oriental medicine "has a place to thrive", Dr. Ha Hai Nam, Deputy Head of Department of Surgery 1, K Hospital, said that most patients are "afraid of surgery", wanting to find a treatment method that is less painful, simple, and cheap. Therefore, when hearing the traditional healer say things like "my family has been in this profession for three generations, just take a pound of medicine and you will be cured", the patient still trusts more, instead of hearing the doctor say things like "I will operate but I dare not confirm that I can cure the disease".
Many people believe that oriental medicine is made from herbs, so they tend to use it for a long time without medical supervision, leading to drug dependence, addiction, and more serious health damage.
"These preparations can make patients feel like their pain symptoms have been reduced, thinking they are cured, but in reality they are silently destroying every organ, and by the time they are discovered, it is too late," said Dr. Khai.
Another reason is that the management and control process still has many loopholes. Dr. Ta Manh Hung, Deputy Director of the Drug Administration, Ministry of Health, said that e-commerce increases the risk of counterfeit drugs. The testing system with three central institutes and 62 provincial centers still lacks synchronous human resources and modern equipment. Meanwhile, counterfeit drug producers are increasingly sophisticated and difficult to control.
Research by the Institute for Health Policy and Management found that 73% of Vietnamese people have used traditional medicine, but only 34% buy it from a trusted source. Worryingly, 68% believe that herbal medicine has "no side effects."
In addition, many products are promoted by celebrities, KOLs, and TikTokers, making it easier for consumers to fall into "traps". E-commerce platforms are currently regulated to only sell non-prescription drugs and must have a license from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, but actual supervision is still loose.
The herbal medicine the patient bought and took led to poisoning.
Experts say that arbitrarily abandoning treatment regimens and switching to "fake" folk medicine increases the risk of death, leaving a financial and mental burden on patients and society. They propose perfecting the legal framework, increasing penalties for the production and trade of fake drugs, adding a solution to trace the origin using QR codes, publicizing information about distributors throughout the system, and strengthening supervision and inspection of traditional and online drug stores and warehouses.
The Ministry of Health proposes to increase administrative and criminal penalties for the production and trading of counterfeit drugs and functional foods. Continue to reform administrative procedures to the maximum extent, introduce strict management measures but still ensure transparency for businesses to operate.
According to the new regulations in the 2024 Pharmacy Law and the Decree under development, only establishments that are qualified to do pharmaceutical business are allowed to sell drugs online. E-commerce platforms must have a license from the Ministry of Industry and Trade and are only allowed to sell non-prescription drugs on the list issued by the Ministry of Health. In particular, the act of selling drugs via livestream on social networking platforms such as TikTok and Zalo is strictly prohibited.
Traditional medicine and remedies are part of our heritage, but should only be used when scientifically based, prescribed by a doctor and strictly controlled.
"The valuable lesson from these tragic cases is a warning for every family: don't bet your health on pills of unknown origin or vague promises that 'have been passed down for three generations'," said Dr. Khai, adding that the best way to protect yourself is to make wise choices, trust modern medicine, and proactively demand transparency when dealing with any medical products on the market.
TH (according to VnExpress)
Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/van-nan-thuoc-gia-truyen-gia-412952.html
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