Preventing infectious diseases: Be proactive at the border gate

According to information from the General Department of Preventive Medicine, Ministry of Health, from May 13 to June 5, 2022, more than 20 countries around the world recorded cases of monkeypox, including more than 100 suspected cases occurring in countries where this disease is rarely reported. In Vietnam, up to now, there have been no recorded cases of monkeypox. In order to promptly prevent suspected cases of infectious disease passing through provincial border gates, Lang Son International Health Quarantine Center has been actively and proactively taking a number of measures.

In recent years, a number of infectious diseases have continued to develop complicatedly in some countries around the world. In addition to the COVID-19 pandemic, a recent typical example is monkeypox – this is a disease that can be transmitted from person to person through close contact, wounds, bodily fluids, droplets and through contact with utensils and equipment contaminated with pathogens. According to a notice from the General Department of Preventive Medicine sent to local health departments, monkeypox is currently spreading in a number of countries such as Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia , Nigeria, South Sudan…

The medical quarantine force at Huu Nghi International Border Gate controls the body temperature of guests entering Vietnam

Mr. Dang Viet Truong, Director of the International Health Quarantine Center of Lang Son province said: “At this time, we have opened the door to international visitors, so it is important to prevent suspected cases of infection right from the start. The border gate area becomes even more important to prevent monkeypox and some other infectious diseases from entering Vietnam. Accordingly, as soon as May 25, 2022, the center has implemented an action plan to prevent and control monkeypox and a number of other infectious diseases (group A infectious diseases). Specifically, the center has directed international medical quarantine teams at border gates to strengthen health control measures for people crossing the two sides of the border gates, especially controlling imported cases with passports from African countries and countries where monkeypox cases have been reported.”

Exchanging about this, Mr. Hoang Van An, Head of the International Health Quarantine Team at Huu Nghi International Border Gate said: “At this time, the number of visitors with foreign passports passing through the border gate begins to increase (in May 2022 alone, there were 1,370 visitors with foreign passports entering and leaving the border gate), therefore, in order to actively monitor, detect and prevent suspected cases of monkeypox infection as well as a number of other infectious diseases, the Health Quarantine Team at the border gate has installed 4 automatic body temperature scanners and appointed staff to be on duty during both holidays and weekends at the entry and exit areas. Accordingly, international visitors on entry must have their body temperature checked via a thermometer. People whose body temperature exceeds the allowable level will be checked with symptoms of diseases.”

Not only at Huu Nghi International Border Gate, but at other border gates in the province, Lang Son International Health Quarantine Center has added equipment for medical control. Accordingly, the unit added 5 body temperature monitors installed at the border gates including Tan Thanh, Chi Ma and Dong Dang International Railway Station; installed 7 more automatic disinfection sprayers at the border gates in operation as well as equipment such as hand-held thermometers… With such medical equipment, the international medical quarantine force at the provincial border gates carried out medical checks on every person passing through the border gates from from both sides.

In parallel with health control for passengers entering and exiting through the border gates, currently, the leader of the International Health Quarantine Center directs the medical quarantine teams at the border gates to take samples of goods at the trucks carrying import and export goods and samples of some related objects and send them to the inspection agency under the General Department of Preventive Medicine for examination and screening of infectious disease viruses. The Director of the International Health Quarantine Center added: “According to information from the General Department of Preventive Medicine, monkeypox is circulating and can be transmitted from mammals, rodents, etc., therefore, we have also actively controlled pathogens on a number of animals in the border gate area in order to monitor and promptly detect pathogens for solutions.”

Along with the international medical quarantine force, the Center for Border Management and other forces at the border gates are also actively coordinating and implementing the prevention and control of infectious diseases from entering the provincial border gates. Major Tran Van Hung, Deputy Head of Huu Nghi International Border Gate Border Guard Station, said that during the process of checking the passports of guests on entry, the border guards would immediately notify the medical quarantine team of those who have traveled, arrived or stayed from countries with monkeypox to carry out surveillance and screening to detect early cases and isolate them promptly. At the same time, border guard force coordinated with other forces to provide propaganda and advice to drivers and goods owners about newly arising infectious diseases so that they could proactively take measures to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

With the motto “disease prevention from afar”, the forces at the border gate of Lang Son province have actively implemented measures to monitor the source of the disease at the border gates in order to promptly prevent infectious diseases from entering Vietnam through provincial border gates.