Vietnam is prepared to battle coronavirus pandemic with determination (Photo: SGGP)
In these recent days, the number of Covid-19 cases in Ho Chi Minh City has increased rapidly; therefore, hospitals have become overloaded. In particular, fields hospitals which just admit asymptomatic infected patients have had no choice but provided on-site treatment for those being transferred from medical clinics in the city and other provinces because large hospitals are overloaded with patients.
Worse, many field hospital leaders said that they have lacked some necessary equipment in the treatment of Covid-19 such as ventilators, portable ventilators, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) equipment, monitors, oxygen, N95 mask, protective gear, and ambulance...
According to Doctor Nguyen Thanh Tam from Field Hospital No. 1, they are treating some 4,500 asymptomatic infection cases and 250 doctors and nurses are working at the hospital.
“On average, doctors have to use 4-5 masks a day. Medical workers will feel more secure if the hospital is given more masks plus more ambulances," said Dr. Nguyen Thanh Tam.
Similarly, Dr. Tran Chanh Xuan, director of Cu Chi Covid-19 Treatment Hospital said that the unit is currently treating 700 Covid-19 patients including those with mild symptoms and severe patients; however, the hospital has only 20 monitors and often have to borrow ventilators from other hospitals.
He added that the hospital needs two more portable ventilators and 80 monitors to treat severe patients.
The Go Vap Covid-19 Treatment Hospital has experienced the same shortage of medical equipment.
The Covid-19 Resuscitation Hospital also had to voice the lack of medical equipment. Dr. Nguyen Tri Thuc, Director of the Covid-19 Resuscitation Hospital, has just sent an urgent document to the Party Committee, the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, and the Department of Health proposing for necessary equipment including a central airless ventilator, 6-parameter monitor, bronchoscope, patient warming devices.
According to Dr. Nguyen Tri Thuc, the hospital currently has over 800 equipment with 23 types, while it is treating 460 patients and needs 2,000 kinds of equipment including ECMO machines, ventilators, and dialysis machines.
More medical equipment is transported to hospitals (Photo: SGGP)
Following the surge of Covid-19 cases in Ho Chi Minh City and many southern provinces, the Ministry of Health decided to establish a field warehouse at Cho Ray Hospital to gather healthcare supplies and equipment to support Ho Chi Minh City and southern provinces under the direction of the Prime Minister.
Immediately after the field warehouse was established, the Ministry of Health has brought a large amount of medical equipment with nearly 399 ventilators of various kinds.
Along with that, the Ministry of Health has mobilized 60 high-flow oxygen breathing systems, 32 continuous dialysis machines, 113 patient monitors, 290 oxygen generators, 221 electric injection pumps, 160 infusion machines, and 13 injectors to this warehouse.
In addition, approximately 125,000 N95 masks, around 14,500 anti-epidemic protective gears of all kinds, and more than 12 million medical masks were transported to the warehouse. According to the Ministry of Health, in addition to the medical equipment and supplies transferred to the above field warehouse, the ministry has transferred two ECMO systems to Ho Chi Minh City and one to the Southern Province of Dong Nai.
In the coming time, the Ministry of Health will continue supplying 500 high-pressure oxygen systems sponsored by some businesses. Vingroup has transferred 800 ventilators manufactured by the group to support Ho Chi Minh City and southern provinces.
According to Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long, the ministry will continue to supply Ho Chi Minh City and the southern provinces with more medical equipment sponsored by several businesses. Businesses have committed to sponsoring right after receiving 2,000 breathing devices of all kinds.
Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long affirmed that the ministry has directed production factories, businesses, and hospitals to use all solutions to avoid lack of oxygen for treatment of Covid-19 patients.
Currently, oxygen plants in the country can produce more than 851,000 cubic meters of medical gas per day (equivalent to 1,300 tons a day) and their capacity can increase by 50 percent-100 percent.
Prior, the Ministry of Health had convened a meeting with 17 oxygen factories nationwide, asking them to increase production capacity, storage and distribution capacity for treatment facilities to ensure enough oxygen for patients.
