A health care worker takes care of a patient at home (Photo: SGGP)
On the morning of August 23, after receiving a phone call from a resident of a family with Covid-19 infected member at 183F/27-29 Ton That Thuyet who have shown signs of severe illness, Dr. Nguyen Tuan Anh, Head of the mobile station in District 4 and a nurse immediately arrived at the house where a 15-year-old boy who was experiencing dizziness and shortness of breath.
After providing treatment, the boy got better, Dr. Tuan Anh provided medicine and instructed family members to self-monitor him at home. Dr. Anh also gave his phone number advising the family to call if the patient's health becomes worse.
The patient's father said he was shocked at the positive test result but fortunately, all of us had mild symptoms so they were isolated at home. After that, all of the family members were instructed by the medical staff of ward 4 on how to monitor and self-treat at home and provide necessary contact numbers if anyone turns serious.
Dr. Tuan Anh said that the mobile medical station comprising three doctors and four nurses has four oxygen tankers and beds. Every day, doctors and nurses take turns to go to the houses of people infected with Covid-19 to monitor and guide them on how to self-medicate at home.
Associate Professor Dr. Tang Chi Thuong, Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, said that amid the current complicated Covid-19 epidemic with a surge of Covid-19 infected patients, it is necessary to establish mobile medical stations whose healthcare workers will monitor city dwellers’ illness and Covid-19 infected cases at home.
If the number of people infected by Covid-19 increases dramatically, more stations will be set up. All Covid-19 patients have contact numbers of doctors and nurses and who will provide medical examination at home. As scheduled, Ho Chi Minh City will set up nearly 400 mobile health stations to provide medical check-ups for 180,000 Covid-19 patients at home",
Previously, the Department of Health of Ho Chi Minh City sent an urgent document to the People's Committee of Thu Duc City and districts on developing a plan of setting up mobile health stations. Accordingly, each mobile facility must have an area for taking samples for testing, an administrative room, drug storage, an area for oxygen tanks, equipment, and rooms for health care members to take a rest.
The Department of Health also required each mobile station to have at least two oxygen cylinders, oxygen breathing apparatus, Sp02 measuring device, basic first aid equipment, SARS-CoV-2 test samples, test kit rapid test for SARS-CoV-2 and other basic medical examination and treatment tools. In addition, each mobile station must have emergency medicine bags, home care medicine bags, and a number of drugs for other common diseases.
