A temporary hospital treated severe COVID-19 cases in HCM City during the fourth wave of the pandemic. (Photo: suckhoedoisong.vn)
HCM City (VNS/VNA) – Temporary hospitals, which used to
treat thousands of COVID-19 patients during the fourth wave of the pandemic in
, have returned to normal after completing their life saving
missions.
Doctors who worked around the clock to treat patients as the city
was grappling with the devastating consequences of the pandemic have also gone
back to their normal working pace.
“A year ago when the pandemic reached its peak in HCM City, we
were in rush to build a field hospital to treat COVID-19 patients in Tan Binh district,”
said Le Dinh Thanh, Director of Thong Nhat Hospital.
The 1,000-bed hospital lacked many resources and equipment, just
like other s in the city, he said.
There was a severe lack of medical supplies ranging from small
items like gloves, masks or PPE to medical equipment and . These
items were then transferred from other hospitals, including the Thong Nhat
Hospital, Tan Binh General Hospital, and CDC Tan Binh and donated by
businesses, organisations and individuals, which helped to meet the great
demand.
The field hospital was tasked with treating patients with various
types of symptoms, from minor to severe.
Patients here were of various ages including more than 100 with
several underlying conditions, some in wheelchairs, and other who had suffered
heart attacks.
“There were people who seemed to be unable to recover but turned
out to be strong and eventually recovered from the disease,” the doctor added.
Duong Minh Duc, a leading professor of mathematics, was among the
severe cases treated at the hospital.
He was hospitalised last year with shortness of breath,
respiratory failure, diffuse pneumonia in both lungs, and low blood oxygen
levels, doctor Thanh said.
He fell into a very heavy cytokine storm and suffered from many
other medical conditions.
Thanks to the successful treatment, the mathematician recovered
and returned to his normal life.
“We didn’t think that the city could return to normal life this
fast. A year ago, when I opened the door, I would be filled with the constant
beep sound of ventilators and the cries of patients,” Thanh said.
Every space of the hospital, from corridors to the lawn, was used
for the treatment of patients.
“Today with the pandemic under control, I feel happy and proud for
having contributed a small part to the fight against the pandemic,” said Thanh.
The hospital faced many difficulties post-pandemic but now its
medical examination and treatment activities have returned to normalcy, he
said.
During the fourth wave of COVID-19, the most devastating, HCM City
built 32 temporary hospitals with a total capacity of 42,798 beds and transfer
the function of 64 hospitals with a total of 17,062 beds for COVID-19 treatment
purposes.
As of July 15, the city has reported more than 612,400 cases of
infection and 19,984 deaths. Nearly 22 million doses of vaccines have
been administered in the southern city./.
Source: VietnamPlus
