Deputy Director of the Department of Health in Ho Chi Minh City Dr. Nguyen Huu Hung
Dr. Hung announced the news at a press conference to inform about the epidemic situation in the area and issues of public interest held by the city's Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control on November 15. Deputy Head of the Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control Pham Duc Hai chaired the press conference.
Currently, Ho Chi Minh City has 16 field hospitals but city authorities planned to keep only three hospitals while closing all of them from now to the end of the year. To care for Covid-19 patients, the Department of Health has proposed that districts set up district-level field hospitals.
Eight districts have set up field hospitals with 300-500 beds for admission of Covid-19 patients with mild and moderate symptoms. Covid-19 people who are eligible for home isolation will receive home-care.
Following dwellers’ complaints that Covid-19 patients couldn’t have contacted with medical workers in healthcare infirmaries, Dr. Hung said that the Health Department has issued warnings to these clinics. Afterwards, the city health authority will establish inspection teams to check this matter.
Dr. Hung affirmed that all Covid-19 patients who are eligible for home –care are indicated to use bags of medicine, but the medical station does not give it to patients, medical staff must be responsible before the health authority. He wanted reports of specific cases so that the Department of Health can issue punishment on right persons.
In respect of home-care for Covid-19 patients, Deputy Director of the city’s Center for Disease Control Nguyen Hong Tam said that currently, of more than 64,000 Covid-19 patients, more than 47,000 of them are being treated at home. In the coming time, the health sector is planning to open more mobile medical stations in districts to take care of infected people at home. Simultaneously, concentration isolation areas in districts are also being re-established.
Regarding the proposal for eateries across the city be allowed to sell beer and alcohol, Deputy Director of the City Department of Industry and Trade Le Huynh Minh Tu said that the service has been piloted in Thu Duc City and District 7 over the past few weeks until November 15. Currently, the Department is working with two localities to make preliminary reports about the pilot service.
The Department has proposed the city People's Committee to allow food and beverage businesses to serve alcoholic beverages while keeping track on the pandemic development. The city is taking opinions from departments and agencies on the draft implementation of Resolution 128.
Deputy Director Tu said that according to the city's new draft, just several restaurants in some districts are allowed to sell alcoholic beverages.
When it comes to preventative measures for the organization of fairs and exhibitions in the end of the year, Mr. Tu said that the draft implementation of Resolution 128 will regulate the number of participants and proper distance between people.
At the press conference, Mr. Hai emphasized the principle of the city which places people’s safety first; thus, city authorities will consider the development of epidemic to have a suitable solution.
More than 13.8 million doses of vaccines have been administered so far; 7.8 million received the first doses of the vaccines and nearly 6 million people received the second doses of vaccines.
The Ministry of Health documented 8,616 more coronavirus patients in Vietnam on November 15 in addition to 1,205 recovered patients and 101 deaths. The latest infections, including 13 imported and 8,603 locally-transmitted cases, were logged in 57 provinces and cities.
