AKIPRESS.COM - Southern Vietnam is currently at peak of the dry season, with lots of heat waves, less rain and increasing temperature, Xinhua reported today.

These have caused more digestive and respiratory sickness among local citizens, according to the local Southern Region Hydrometeorological Center.

Hospitals in southern economic hub Ho Chi Minh (HCM) City reported an increase in admissions for respiratory and digestive ailments in recent days as temperatures climbed to 35-38 degrees Celsius.

HCM City's Paediatrics Hospital No.1 reported admitting 250 inpatients with digestive problems each day over the last four weeks. Most of them had diarrhea caused by food poisoning and digestive ailments.

Doctors said respiratory and hand-foot-mouth ailments are more common among children under five years old. During the recent scorching days, around 7,000 children came to the Paediatrics Hospital No.1 for medical check-up a day.

Meanwhile, the City's Pediatric Hospital No. 2 admitted 205 children with pneumonia, and 22 of them were in serious condition, with some in the intensive care ward.

Temperatures are forecast to climb as high as 36-38 degrees Celsius in the southern region, including the border area with Cambodia, till late April or early May, according to the Southern Region Hydrometeorological Center.