The Asia - Pacific Association of Medical Toxicology (APAMT), Taiwan Poison Control Center, Taibei Veterans General Hospital and Cho Ray Hospital of Vietnam held an international conference on poisoning treatment in Ho Chi Minh City Mar. 4. Speaking at the conference, Pham Thi Ngoc Thao, deputy director of the Cho Ray Hospital said that the number of people suffering from poisoning in Vietnam is rising.
In 2009, the hospital received nearly 2,500 poisoning cases, up 150% compared to the figure of 2002. Particularly, the wine poisoning cases increased five times compared to 2005, Thao noted. Thao also suggested setting up a poison control center in southern Vietnam, the Phap luat Thanh Pho Ho Chi Minh newspaper reported March 5. Vietnam now has one center at the Bach Mai Hospital in northern Vietnam. The event will help raise capabilities of Vietnamese doctors in poisoning treatment.
