VietNamNet Bridge - Within two weeks, seven patients died of mushroom poisoning at the Poison Control Center of the Hanoi-based Bach Mai Hospital.

The latest mushroom poisoning victim is a pregnant woman, who was admitted to the Bach Mai Hospital early this week, in a critical condition. Here child was stillbirth at the fourth month of pregnancy.

Earlier, the poison control center at Bach Mai Hospital received four groups of mushroom poisoning patients.

The first group includes five patients from Vo Nhai district of the northern province of Thai Nguyen and four of them were dead.

The second group consists of five people, also from Thai Nguyen and three of them died. The remaining two are still in the hospital, with positive developments.

The third group includes four people in one family from the northern province of Tuyen Quang. Two of them are in a deep coma and brought home. The two others are in unpredictable condition but they were determined to go home to attend the funerals of their family members.

Thus, in a total of 15 patients with mushroom poisoning, four are being treated.

According to doctors, the cost of treatment for patients with mushroom poisoning is up to tens of thousands of USD for each case, but the fatality rate is extremely high.

The Bureau of Food Safety under the Ministry of Health has sent urgent telegrams to the Directors of the Departments of Health of northern provinces, asking them to implement drastic measures to prevent mushroom poisoning.

Cam Quyen