A COVID-19 patient in a serious condition receiving treatment in . (Photo: tienphong.vn)Hanoi (VNS/VNA) – Hanoi should apply a model of medical mentorship in
treating COVID-19, taking advantage of human resources and infrastructure of
different treatment layers to reduce the number of serious cases and fatalities
in the capital.
That is
according to Dr Nguyen Trung Cap, Deputy Director of the National Hospital
for Tropical Diseases, a leading hospital in COVID treatment in the
country.
In recent
days, the capital city has reported an average of ten fatalities per day.
Hanoi is
applying a three-layer COVID assessment level for treatment; asymptomatic,
patients with light symptoms and severe cases.
About 93 percent of COVID-19 patients in Hanoi are asymptomatic or have light symptoms.
Among those, more than 50,000 patients are being treated at home. Others are
being treated at city/district-level healthcare centres.
The rising
number of infections in the city has however resulted in more serious cases.
Dr Hoang Bui Hai,
Deputy Director of the COVID-19 Treatment Hospital (Hanoi Medical University
Hospital), said 40 to 50 percent of serious cases being treated with breathing
machines face a high risk of fatality.
According to
the health ministry, since April 29 when the fourth pandemic wave started, the
city has confirmed 324 deaths, accounting for 0.4 percent of infection cases.
Dr Cap said
the treatment layer at the highest level of Hanoi has high-quality doctors and
equipment, but a limited number of beds. The lower levels have a high number of
staff and beds, but less skilful doctors and equipment.
The city needs
to make best use of medical staff at the lower treatment layer and take
advantage of experienced doctors and equipment at the high level, he told Tien
Phong (Vanguard) newspaper.
From two years
of experience in various areas across Vietnam, Dr Cap said, “The model of
which has been applied successfully in other localities will
help Hanoi.”
He took Chi
Linh City General Hospital in northern Hai Duong province as an example. Not
all of the hospital’s staff had been trained in COVID-19 treatment when the
pandemic broke out in Chi Linh in early 2021.
Thanks to the
mentorship of doctors from the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases via
online consultations, after one week, local doctors in Hai Duong could perform
their tasks well.
The mentorship
model was also applied in northern Bac Ninh province in May and June 2021.
At first, all
patients needed to be examined online by doctors from the National Hospital of
Tropical Diseases.
Two weeks
later, some heads of departments of Bac Ninh province Hospital learned skills
and techniques to be able to conduct consultations in most cases in
the province. Doctors from the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases only
participated in consulting a few complicated cases.
Dr Cap said,
“It means doctors at the higher-level treatment layer can offer consultations
from a distance for patients at the lower level. The lower level layer can take
advantage of healthcare staff, even those from other medical fields and medical
students, to participate in the treatment process with supervision from doctors
at the higher level.”
The mentorship
model needs the instruction of highly-skilled doctors. Each doctor from
national hospitals will be in charge of assisting one area. Each doctor from
the highest level will be responsible for instructing one doctor of the second
layer. The doctor of the second layer will assist a clinic to monitor positive
cases in the community, Cap said.
If the lower
level is unable to receive patients, the higher level must receive, supervise
and offer treatment from a distance, he said.
He emphasised
that the model needs strict supervision; everyone must follow the instructions
of doctors at the highest level.
Doctors at the
provincial level should instruct doctors at the district level. Doctors at the
district level must instruct commune-level medical staff, creating an expanded
network and not leaving any patients behind.
“The system
will be smoothly operated even when the number of infection cases increases
sharply,” he said.
The COVID-19
mentorship model is being applied at five hospitals in Hanoi – Duc Giang General
Hospital, Thanh Nhan Hospital, Saint Paul General Hospital, Dong Da General
Hospital and Ha Dong General Hospital./.
Source: VietnamPlus
