HCM City (VNS/VNA) - Hospitals in Ho Chi Minh Cityhave urged parents to pay closer attention to their children this summerfollowing an increase in the number of patient admissions because of accidents.

Summer is the high-risk period for accidents involvingchildren, according to doctors at city hospitals.

Recently, the city’s Paediatrics Hospital 2, for instance,admitted five to six children on average per day because of accidents,including burns from boiling water and gas flames, choking from coins,poisoning from medicine, and drinking of chemicals.

A 15-month-old girl from the Central Highlands province ofGia Lai with two- and three-degree burns covering more than 40 percent of herbody was brought to the hospital. She was burned while her mother carried herin arms as she was cooking.

Another patient was transferred from the Dong Nai provinceGeneral Hospital after her left arm was cut when she fell on a power saw.

The injury was too severe and doctors were forced to amputatethe arm, according to the hospital’s doctor.  

Last month, doctors at the City Paediatrics Hospitalperformed emergency surgery on a four-year-old girl from the Mekong Deltaprovince of Vinh Long who had accidentally stabbed herself with pen afterfalling down while running.

According to the Ministry of Health, an average of 580children were involved in accidents every day last year.

The city Department of Health’s figures showed that accidentskill around 250 to 300 children aged one to 14 in the city every year.

According to health experts, children aged 2 to 12 are activeand almost have no capacity to protect themselves before danger.

Nearly 70 percent of mortalities and 57 percent of injuriescould be preventable, they said, adding that parents should take an importantrole in prevention.

Dr Dao Trung Hieu, deputy head of the city PediatricsHospital 1, said that parents should have awareness of teaching children basicknowledge about preventive measures against accidents.

They should create a safe space for their children, especiallythose under six years old, to play at home.

The Health Environment Management Agency under the Ministryof Health recently issued guidance on ways to prevent injuries and accidentsamong children, including communication to raise public awareness and skills increating a safe home.

Children aged 5 to 14 should be taught swimming and skills toprevent drowning, according to the agency.

The agency urges parents who live near rivers, canals, lakesand ponds to install a fence around their homes.

In the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long, nine children havedied due to drowning since the beginning of this year.

Many have lived in houses near rivers without fences. Severalof them could swim, but did not have skills to deal with potential drowningincidents.

According to statistics of the Ministry of Labour, Invalidsand Social Affairs, around 2,000 children die from drowning each year.

The Ministry of Education and Training has instructed itsdepartments in provinces and cities as well as schools nationwide to improvecommunication about drowning prevention.

Children have been warned to avoid lakes, canals, rivers,streams and construction holes, and to swim with their parents.

Schools have been encouraged to offer swimming classes and towork with local authorities to identify places with high risk.  

Provincial authorities, youth unions and domestic and foreignorganisations are carrying out many projects on drowning prevention.

Last month, the Vietnam Sports Administration launched aprogramme on safe swimming and prevention of drowning that will be offered tochildren.

The programme includes videos about basic swimming skills,building standard swimming pools, and organising contests for children who arelearning swimming and drowning prevention skills.-VNS/VNA