Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son checks HCM City private hospitals’ preparations of COVID-19 prevention and control on March 8. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – should stay alert to the spread of
the coronavirus disease () as the country has entered the second phase
of disease prevention and control, said an official from the
(MoH).
“The most
important thing for private hospitals now is to early detect, promptly quarantine
and transfer COVID-19 cases to concentrated treatment facilities,” said the Associate Professor, Dr. Luong Ngoc
Khue, head of the MoH’s Department of Medical Examination and Treatment,
at a March 9 training session for over 200 officials from private general
clinics and hospitals in Hanoi on how to prevent and control the disease.
At present,
in Hanoi, coronavirus patients are treated at the National Hospital for
Tropical Diseases in Kim Chung commune, Dong Anh district to avoid infection in
the inner city.
He urged private hospitals and their health workers to strictly follow the regulations
of the MoH, not discriminate and refuse to treat , and only
access official news sources provided by the MoH and the municipal Health Department.
Earlier, on March 8, the Ministry of Health told private hospitals in HCM
City to screen any patient suspected of contracting COVID-19.
During an inspection, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son said the
hospitals had properly set up areas for screening and isolation, and
were measuring body temperature, disinfecting hands, and distributing
medical masks for people visiting them.
If patients have symptoms of cough, fever and difficulty in breathing,
they are asked about their history of travelling. If they
have travelled to countries and areas where COVID-19
has broken out, they will be sent to the hospitals’ isolated areas.
The private hospitals will then contact the National Hospital for Tropical
Diseases to receive assistance in diagnosis. They will also have to
report these patients to the city’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
During the inspection, Son checked medical supplies at the hospitals and
inquired about the criteria they were using to test suspected
cases.
He instructed private hospitals to limit the use of air conditioners
and open doors at least twice a day for air ventilation.
On February 26, the ministry ordered health departments in the country to
strengthen management and early detection of suspected cases at private
hospitals and health clinics.
Missed cases at these facilities could be dangerous for the community, Son
said.
He ordered private hospitals to change their process of patient admission
and treatment to reduce the number of health officials who have
direct contact with patients.
Hong Ngoc Hospital in Hanoi received the 17th COVID-19 patient and quarantined 17
health workers who had direct contact with the patient.
The ministry has issued an action plan on the Government’s COVID-19
response with four levels, including the highest level when the
disease spreads widely in the community. Provinces and cities have
prepared to set up hospitals for quarantining coronavirus patients./.
Source: VietnamPlus
