The recent cold weather in Vietnam’s central region has resulted in a three- to fourfold increase in hospitalizations for respiratory illnesses in Da Nang City.

Across the region spanning from Thanh Hoa to Thua Thien-Hue Provinces, temperatures range from 15 to 20 degrees Celsius at the lowest and 25 to 28 degrees Celsius at the highest on Tuesday, according to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

Moving to Da Nang through Binh Thuan Province, mercury varies from 20 to 25 degrees Celsius at the lowest and 26 to 32 degrees Celsius at the highest.

The Central Highlands region sees temperatures fluctuating between 16-19 degrees Celsius at the lowest and 26-29 degrees Celsius at the highest.

As a result, there has been a significant surge in respiratory illnesses in recent days.

At the Department of Respiratory Medicine - Allergy Immunology at Da Nang Hospital, the number of hospitalized patients has risen three to four times in the past three days, causing significant strain.

Doctor Hoang Thi Tam, deputy head of the department, noted that while her ward handles 15-20 patients on a typical day, from the middle of this month, it has received 50-60 hospitalized cases on different days.

The sudden weather changes have led to a rise in common viral infections, and groups with a history of conditions such as tuberculosis, bronchial asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are being admitted in large numbers.

“Especially in the past three days, as the central region has experienced a sudden cold spell, a substantial number of elderly patients, including cases from the Central Highlands and Quang Ngai Province, have been admitted,” Tam added.

The cases include lung infections and severe bronchial asthma attacks. 

Yet, mild cases transferred from lower-level hospitals have contributed to an overload of treatment capacity.

The substantial climb in patient numbers has overwhelmed Tam’s department, necessitating the placement of additional beds in the hallway. However, space remains insufficient.

As observed by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Monday afternoon, extra beds were even set up in the lobby area of the department due to overcrowding.

To alleviate the strain on the respiratory department, Da Nang Hospital has transferred patients to the Cardiovascular Center 2, about 200 meters away, for treatment.

Doctor Tam added that certain departments are collaborating to address the jump in patients. 

Particularly, the resuscitation ward handles severe cases, while the tropical medicine department manages viral fever and upper respiratory infections.

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