According to the online meeting which was held on August 19, many southern localities, particularly HCM City, have continued witnessing a sharp rise in new Covid-19 cases. So it has become necessary to launch mobile medical stations in populous areas and those hardest-hit by Covid-19.
The online meeting between the Ministry of Health, HCM City, Binh Duong, Long An and Dong Nai provinces on August 19.
Speaking at the meeting, Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long, besides providing normal medical services, the stations will focus on monitoring Covid-19 patients who undergo self-treatment at home and help connect Covid-19 cases to medical facilities in necessary cases. They are also in charge of quick Covid-19 testing and Covid-19 vaccination.
The stations can be located at different places such as gymnasiums, cultural houses, private clinics or households which are large enough and quite separated from neighbouring areas.
Each station needs at least 1-2 doctors, 5-7 other medical staff as well as local volunteers.
They are equipped with two oxygen tanks and other medical tools for emergency cases.
The localities have been urged to plan the deployment of the stations. HCM City and Binh Dung need to report on the number of required medical workers to staff the stations.
Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong said that the city’s Covid-19 fight will concentrate on providing treatment for Covid-19 patients at hospitals and monitoring the patients who stay at home.
HCM City currently has 15,000 Covid-19 cases experiencing home treatment. They do not have underlying medical problems and have not displayed Covid-19-related symptoms.
Under Phong’s instructions, areas in HCM City have to define the number of Covid-19 patients in areas. Each oxygen station and an urgent response group are arranged to support 10-20 Covid-19 patients.
Phong agreed on upgrading oxygen stations into mobile medical stations as requested by the Ministry of Health.
Dong Nai has set up 11 field hospitals for Covid-19 for around 8,000 Covid-19 cases. The patient number would rise to 18,000 in the coming time
Long An Province has recorded 16,500 Covid-19 patients since April 27 when the fourth Covid-19 wave hit Vietnam.
Long An has planned to apply a mobile medical station model in the three high-risk districts of Duc Hoa, Ben Luc and Can Giuoc.
Binh Duong is expected to see the number of Covid-19 patients rise to 7,000 per day compared to the present level of 2,000. The province wants to use mobile medical stations at locked-down areas and those with many rented houses.