The Health Department in Quang Nam Province has asked local hospital and healthcare centres to stop using Bupivacain for spinal anaesthesia on women during labour following the recent deaths of two women.
Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son visits the woman who is being treated at the Danang General Hospital on November 21.
The Bupivacain WPW Spinal 5.5% drug which is produced in Poland was suspected to have caused serious reactions among three women, two of whom died, and one other still in critical condition in Danang City.
Deputy director of Quang Nam Provincial Department of Health, Nguyen Van Van, on November 21 sent letters to all hospital and healthcare centres in the area to temporarily stop using the drug while they are carrying out an investigation.
According to the department, on November 17, two women, both aged 33, were given Bupivacain dosages for spinal anaesthesia before caesarean section at the Danang Women's Hospital. One died the same evening and the other was rushed to Danang General Hospital in critical condition. Earlier, on October 22, a 32-year-old woman also died here after being given the drug before caesarean section.
"All three women had convulsions after being given the drug," the department said. "Luckily their children were all saved safely. We have seized all the Bupivacaine drug left at the hospital for investigation."
Also on November 21, a delegation from the Ministry of Health led by deputy minister Nguyen Truong Son visited the woman who was being treated at the Danang General Hospital in critical condition after giving birth using the drug.
Speaking with the media, Son said that the ministry has yet to give any direction on the use of the drug.
"We need to investigate the case before giving a ban which will affect the treatment at many hospitals that are using the drug," the official explained.
Son added that many large hospitals nation-wide are using a large amount of this drug and there have been a good review of its results.
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