A pregnant woman infected with SARS-CoV-2 having a cesarean section in Hoan My Covid-19 Treatment Hospital (Photo: SGGP)
Hoan My Covid-19 Treatment Hospital has tried to maintain the offer of treatment to about 150 Covid-19 patients for over the last one month.
The hospital transformed from the Thu Duc Hoan My International General Hospital in Thu Duc City is the first private medical facility to respond to the municipal government’s call for the private healthcare sector to participate in the fight against Covid-19.
The healthcare unit has put money for the self-installation of medical devices, such as liquid oxygen tank, High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) machines, kidney dialysis machines, drugs and more.
In addition, the hospital has also offered accommodations, meals and personal protective suits for its medical staff.
The Nam Sai Gon Hospital has also spent a large amount of money on investing medical products and taken a burden of expense of taking care of Covid-19 patients and providing essential services for 300 workers.
Many private healthcare facilities have joined hands with the municipal government in the fight against Covid-19.
According to Director of Ngoc Minh Healthcare Clinic Cao Xuan Minh, the medical unit has organized many testing and vaccination teams. In spite of having temporarily suspend its operation due to social distancing measures, the clinic has spent hundreds of millions of VND to pay salary, purchase of medical products and others since the end of June.
Statistics by the HCMC Health Department show that 63 private clinics are operating in the city. Ten hospitals offering 966 beds were turned into Covid-19 treatment facilities.
An average expense of hospital care for Covid-19 treatment ranges from VND7 million (US$308) to VND30 million (US$1,300) per day, based on mild or severe symptoms. With these costs and without any payment for hospotal services, private hospitals won't be able to hold out much longer if they have not got any support from the authorities.
Medical experts hoped the municipal government and health sector to evaluate the role of the private healthcare sector and create a fairness between the public and private healthcare systems in caring for the people’s health and fighting against the pandemic.
The Ministries of Health and Finance should build standards and essential services for Covid-19 treatment in private hospitals that help they publish a list of charges for all given services. In addition, the approval for collecting fees and expenses will be one of the suitable solutions.
The People’s Committee of HCMC has proposed the Prime Minister to approve the payment of fees and costs for Covid-19 treatment in private hospitals because of the differences of treatment cost, purchase and investment of medical products and devices between the public and private healthcare facilities.
