Ho Chi Minh City orders Hospital for Tropical Diseases to prepare for suspected Ebola cases

In an urgent directive issued on Thursday, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health instructed the city’s health sector to strengthen monitoring and activate Ebola response plans.

The move followed a World Health Organization declaration on May 17 that the outbreak of the virus’ Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no vaccine, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda was a public health emergency of international concern.

The department said the city faces potential risks from international travel because of its major airport, seaports, and border entry points, despite the WHO not recommending travel restrictions or broad entry screening measures for countries outside outbreak zones.

The city’s Center for Disease Control was instructed to strengthen monitoring at airports, seaports and international checkpoints and coordinate with aviation, maritime, and border authorities to identify travelers showing symptoms or epidemiological links to affected areas.

The Hospital for Tropical Diseases was directed to prepare facilities for receiving, isolating, and treating suspected Ebola cases and to coordinate professional consultations with other hospitals before accepting patient transfers.

Public and private hospitals were also ordered to activate screening, triage, and temporary isolation procedures for patients showing suspected symptoms, particularly those who had traveled to outbreak areas within 21 days before symptom onset.

The Department of Health said medical facilities must not transfer, discharge or allow suspected Ebola patients to leave without approval from the city’s disease control center and health authorities.

Emergency Service Center 115 was assigned to prepare safe transport plans for suspected Ebola cases, including protective equipment and disinfection procedures after transport.

Local health centers and commune-level clinics were instructed to strengthen community monitoring, particularly for travelers, foreign workers, seafarers, and passengers arriving from affected regions.

The department said health authorities must ensure accurate public communication to prevent panic while remaining vigilant against the risk of Ebola entering the city.