A COVID-19 screening room at Trung Vuong Hospital in HCM City (Source: www.medinet.hochiminhcity.gov.vn/)HCM City (VNS/VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of Health has developed
an for COVID-19 outbreaks under three scenarios of
fewer than 100, 200 and 500 positive cases.
The plan is
being made because of pandemic developments including new variants and
outbreaks globally.
The department
will continue to use available personnel and facilities at designated hospitals
for treatment of COVID-19 patients.
These
hospitals include Cu Chi COVID-19 Treatment Hospital with 300 beds, Can Gio
COVID-19 Treatment Hospital with 600 beds, HCM City Hospital for Tropical
Diseases with 40 beds at its Department for Transmissible Diseases D, and the
City Children’s Hospital and Children’s Hospital 2.
These
hospitals will be ready to increase the number of beds to admit
patients and others suspected of having COVID-19 if an outbreak occurs.
If the
hospitals become overloaded, the department will use Pham Ngoc Thach Hospital’s
464 beds to admit COVID-19 patients.
The department
has instructed hospitals in the city to prepare doctors and nurses to be
available for examination and treatment of COVID-19 patients if necessary.
These doctors
and nurses will have to receive training in professional knowledge on
treatment and control of infections, and ensure safety for medical
staff as well as patients.
Last year, the
Cu Chi COVID-19 Treatment Hospital and Can Gio COVID-19 Treatment Hospital
were the two main health facilities isolating and treating COVID-19
patients and suspected cases. This was done to help reduce pressure and
risk of transmission at city hospitals.
The hospitals’
doctors and nurses came from other hospitals in the city and worked on
a rotation system.
The department
has also instructed the 115 Emergency Centre to continue carrying out its task
of transporting COVID-19 patients to designated hospitals for treatment.
Hospitals have
helped the city Centre for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) to
take samples for testing at Tan Son Nhat airport, and bus and railway
stations.
Besides the Pasteur
Institute and the CDC, tests are conducted by the HCM City Hospital
for Tropical Diseases, Children’s Hospital 1, City Children’s Hospital, and Pham
Ngoc Thach, Nguyen Tri Phuong, District 2, Thu Duc, FV, Gia An 115 and Hoan My
Sai Gon hospitals, as well as several hospitals owned by the Ministry of
Health and other agencies.
This year,
more hospitals in the city will be assessed for their capacity to
conduct COVID-19 tests.
The department
has instructed hospitals to prepare medicine, chemicals and protective
clothes as well as equipment for their medical staff when they are called
for emergencies.
It has also
required all hospitals and health facilities to review and assess safety
criteria in COVID-19 prevention and control. They have been ordered to ask
their patients to fill out online health declarations.
Since February
5, when online health declarations began at hospitals and health centres
in the city, 127 private and public healthcare facilities have used the
department’s health declaration application.
By March 8,
all hospital and health centre in the city will have to use the application.
According to
the department, hospitals should offer training courses for their
doctors and nurses in screening, isolating and taking samples for tests,
and treatment guidelines related to COVID-19 issued by the Ministry
of Health.
Hospitals have
also been instructed to take samples for testing all of their staff by
March 10.
Following the
Ministry of Health’s requirement, the department is collaborating with Cho Ray
Hospital to set up an expert team specialising in COVID-19 treatment to assist
other hospitals that admit severely ill COVID-19 patients who
need emergency treatment./.
Source: VietnamPlus
