The Ministry of Health has asked cities and provinces to establish medical oxygen co-ordination units to ensure the supply for Covid-19 treatment.
According to the Ministry of Health, amid the strong Covid-19 outbreaks in many localities in Vietnam, medicine, medical oxygen and equipment play a decisive role in treatment. This means it is necessary to coordinate medical oxygen distribution. The units are led by a vice-chairman of the local people’s committees.
"Some localities have prepared for Covid-19 response scenarios. However, several others have not yet been ready for worsened situations,” the ministry said.
Under the Ministry of Health’s instructions, oxygen coordination units are responsible for keeping track of the use of medical oxygen at hospitals and health centres nationwide to help regulate oxygen supplies.
On August 21, the Ministry of Health worked with 26 medical oxygen suppliers and producers. They can currently supply nearly 1,200 tonnes of liquid oxygen per day. The capacity can be increased by 50-100% in necessary cases.
Many localities are facing a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases. HCM City has remained a Covid-19 hotspot with thousands of new cases confirmed daily. Many of these are worsening. A large number of local Covid-19 cases now have to stay at home for self-treatment. Meanwhile, many hospitals have been overwhelmed.
The Vietnam People's Air Force has launched two mobile oxygen production stations in HCM City. Each station can ensure oxygen for 40-60 40-litre tanks each. The pressure swing adsorption (PSA) technology can provide oxygen purity of 99.5%.
A firm in HCM City has cooperated with the Vietnam Young Entrepreneurs Association and the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union for an oxygen ATM project to help local Covid-19 patients.
Currently, the project is operated from 6 am to 5 pm with 90 eight-litre bottles each, covering districts 7, 8, 9, Tan Phu, Binh Tan and Binh Chanh.
Hanoi has issued a plan to provide medical oxygen for a scenario in which the number of Covid-19 patients in the city reaches 40,000. The move aims at ensuring adequate medical oxygen for hospitals and medical facilities under the management of the city's Department of Health.
Source: dtinews.vn