As the weather turned bitterly cold, many children and elderly were hospitalized in Hanoi last week, news website Vietnamnet reported Thursday (January 6).

 

According to the news source, Vietnam National Hospital of Pediatrics admitted up to 1,500-2,000 children every day starting Monday last week, double the regular number.

 

Other major hospitals like Thanh Nhan and St.Paul also experienced a steep rise in the number of pediatric admissions after the New Year holiday, it reported.

 

Doctors said most of the children were hospitalized with respiratory problems like coughing and sore throat.

 

The cold spell, which dropped to 10 degrees Celsius Wednesday, also brought the elderly to thehospital with blood pressure, respiratory, and bone and joint problems.

 

The Orthopedic Department at E Hospital has been admitting between 60-70 patients per day, which is much higher than the normal number of admissions, the news source reported.

 

In the meantime, the National Institute of Geriatrics reported that the number of patients recently hospitalized has increased by some 30 percent, especially among those with blood pressure issues.

 

According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, the temperature will continue to drop over the next two or three days.

 

The Ministry of Education and Training, meanwhile, has ordered primary school students to stay home if the temperature touches ten degrees Celsius, while secondary school students can have a holiday if the temperature drops to seven degrees Celsius.