Hospitals in Mekong Delta provinces, located in southern Vietnam, are concerned over the shortage of drugs for hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) cases while the number of patients is rising at an alarming rate.

At the Can Tho Children's Hospital in the namesake city, the number of HFMD child patients has surged since May.

Nearly 3,000 HFMD cases have undergone medical check-ups and treatment at the hospital since early this year.

The figure was 409 in May alone, soaring 140 percent month on month. The hospital received 390 cases in the first half of this month already.

Doctor Huynh Hung Dung, head of the department of infectious diseases at the Can Tho Children's Hospital, said 73 HFMD cases are being treated at the hospital.

The disease is mainly found in children under five years old, and patients' condition can worsen quickly.

The high number of patients causes more difficulties for the hospital.

At present, the volume of Immunoglobulin, a kind of drug for HFMD treatment, remains small, Dr. Ong Huy Thanh, deputy director of the hospital, said, adding that it is seeking new medicine suppliers.

If the disease continues to spread and the hospital has yet to find a new drug supplier, it will face a dearth of medicines.

In other southern provinces, such as An Giang, Dong Thap, Bac Lieu, Ca Mau, and Tra Vinh, the number of HFMD child patients is also on the rise.

An Giang has recorded 485 cases so far and the number is forecast to rise further in the next three months, especially when students return to school after their summer holiday.

As a result, the risk of a shortage of HFMD medicines will be high.

Meanwhile, Dong Thap Province reported 750 HFMD cases, expanding 25 percent year on year, with over 60 percent being children aged under three.

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