One of the coaches turned into an ambulance

Under the instruction of municipal authorities, the HCM City Department of Health and the 115 Medical Emergency Centre have to mobilise all ambulances from public medical facilities for carrying patients with worsening condition to hospitals.

The 115 Medical Emergency Centre is responsible for the ambulance distribution and reporting the situation to the committee.

Amid the sharp rise in Covid-19 patients in the city, a transportation firm in the city has used 226 coaches of 16 seats each as ambulances for carrying Covid-19 cases.

The vehicles are installed with necessary medical equipment for emergencies, including oxygen tanks and pulse oximeters. Shields are also used to separate their driver and passengers to help reduce the risks of Covid-19 infection.

To date, 160 vehicles have been handed over to localities, while the remainder is expected to be put into use in two days to come.

At the end of July, around 300 cars of a taxi company in the city were also licensed as prioritised vehicles for patient transportation.