Health Ministry to deploy oxygen supply project nationwide

The conference
aims to prepare, respond proactively, promptly and effectively in terms of
medical oxygen for emergencies and for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

Speaking at
the conference, emphasised that
investing in the medical oxygen supply system would be an investment for the
long term. 

“The
investment, expansion of production scale, supply network and technical infrastructure
of medical oxygen at medical examination and treatment facilities is not only
for the COVID-19 pandemic but also for the future,” he said.

In some
southern provinces and cities, the number of new cases of along with
the current number of cases and the need for medical treatment for other
diseases has resulted in an increasing demand for medical oxygen. The
percentage of COVID-19 patients who have the need for oxygen ranging from mild
levels such as oxygen masks, oxygen therapy glasses and high flow oxygen
to severe levels such as non-invasive and invasive ventilation, ECMO,
accounting for about 9.5 percent of the total cases.

According to
Nguyen Minh Tuan, Director of the Department of Medical Equipment and
Construction under the Ministry of Health, in Vietnam, the supply capacity
of oxygen across the country is about 1,200 tonnes of liquid oxygen per
day and can be increased by 50 percent to 100 percent as needed. 

Regarding the
status of medical oxygen technical infrastructure in medical facilities, it
basically meets routine medical care, but there are still some limitations when
the number of COVID-19 patients increases. 

In fact, many
medical facilities at the district level do not have a central oxygen system;
lack oxygen containers (such as bottles, flasks, tanks); and do not back up the
number of containers when they have to be rotated, or used for support for home
treatment and emergency transportation. Establishments in remote areas
often have difficulty accessing oxygen supplies, while the ability to
coordinate and mobilise oxygen has not been prompt in intensive situations
like natural disasters (storms, floods, power outages, etc.) or the pandemic. 

To increase
the production, supply and ensure for the treatment of COVID-19
patients, on September 7, 2021, the Minister of Health issued Decision No.
4308/QD-BYT on strengthening the capacity to supply medical oxygen for
facilities treating COVID-19 patients. The main objective of the project is to
guide localities to proactively develop plans and organise a close connection
between supply and demand in order to exploit resources for producing medical
oxygen in the country; prepare medical oxygen infrastructure to treat COVID-19
patients according to different pandemic scenarios.

Deputy
Minister Tran Van Thuan pointed out four groups of solutions that provinces and
cities need to conduct urgently.

First, reviewing
and evaluating the current status of medical oxygen technical infrastructure at
medical facilities at all levels and developing a plan, based on the
guidance of the Ministry of Health on medical oxygen demand at all levels, to
improve the technical infrastructure of medical oxygen systems at facilities
treating COVID-19 patients.

Secondly,
localities should assess the ability to produce oxygen, the network of oxygen
suppliers, to plan and expand the scale of oxygen production and supply to
ensure that demand can be met.

Thirdly,
provinces and cities should implement effective connection and coordination
among stakeholders: producers, suppliers, transporters and users of oxygen to
ensure that emergency needs are met without interruption in various situations. 

The deputy
minister requested that localities assign a vice chairman of the people’s
committees to be the head of the department, the leader of the Department of
Health acting as deputy permanent member of the unit in charge of medical
oxygen coordination. Localities should also strengthen IT application in the
management and coordination of medical oxygen, and at the same time properly
control the price of medical oxygen in the locality to ensure that the price is
not a barrier when the demand for oxygen increases.

Localities are
asked to continue to implement the motto “four on the
spot”, proactively prepare, be ready and promptly respond to medical
oxygen needs in emergencies and COVID-19 treatment: planning the
procurement of medical oxygen containers and other necessary supplies and
equipment; simultaneously, continuously expanding training for doctors, nurses,
medical staff at all levels on medical oxygen therapies in treatment suitable
to all levels./.