Adjusting health activities to safely adapt to Covid-19 pandemic

In order to control and regulate the local health activities in the "new normal" state, on the morning of October 20, Vo Van Minh, Vice-Secretary of provincial Party Committee, Chairman of provincial People's Committee chaired a meeting with provincial Department of Health on the local Covid-19 vaccination plan, results of implementation of mobile health stations, plans on medical staff, arrangement of isolation areas and construction of medical facilities to treat patients in districts, towns and cities. The meeting was connected online with 9 districts, towns in the province. Also attending the meeting was Nguyen Loc Ha, member of provincial Party Standing Committee, Vice-Chairman of provincial People's Committee.

Arranging, coordinating forces

Nguyen Hong Chuong, Director of provincial Department of Health said that as of October 19, the province was allocated 4,864,360 doses of Covid-19, received 4,185,266 doses and had 679,094 doses left at the storage of HCM city-based Pasteur Institute. So far, the local health sector has administered 3,673,346 out of 4,185,266 doses of Covid-19 vaccine. The remaining 511,920 doses are being injected on people. It is expected that provincial Department of Health will continue receiving another 405,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine allocated by the Ministry of Health to administer the second shot on people. The department has also set up a Covid-19 vaccination plan for children aged 12 and 17.

Provincial People's Committee Chairman asks for localities to focus on administering the second shot of Covid-19 on people. In picture: People in Thu Dau Mot city’s Phu Cuong ward get vaccinated against Covid-19

According to statistics, the whole province still has 50 isolation and treatment facilities for F0 cases. As of October 31, the province will rearrange 20 treatment facilities on the floor 1A. The province will also shrink Thoi Hoa treatment area in Ben Cat town, field hospitals No. 3, 4, 5 and 6 in early November. After November 15, the province will reduce the number of Covid-19 isolation and treatment facilities to 22, including 20 on the 1^st floor, 2 on the 2^nd floor and 2 on the 3^rd floor, ensuring the maintenance of 400 intensive care beds. Provincial Department of Health has submitted a plan on establishing 2^nd-floor Covid-19 treatment areas at An Phu General Clinic in Thuan An City with 200 beds and An Binh General Clinic in Di An city with 150 beds. The remaining units have basically had 2^nd-floor Covid-19 patient treatment areas. Whilst, Ben Cat town is surveying for this investment.

At the meeting, localities wanted the province to consider Covid-19 vaccination for children to prepare for them back to school, provide guidance on setting up mobile health stations in enterprises and strengthen the implementation of solutions to supplement human resources for the local health sector. Doan Hong Tuoi, Chairman of Tan Uyen town’s People's Committee said that the town has established a post-Covid-19 department at the local Health Center. Under the plan, the town will retain its 2^nd-floor treatment facilities, but now there are not enough medical staff. The town has proposed the province to supplement medical human resources for the local Covid-19 treatment areas and mobile health stations. The sector needs to have guidance on supporting working budget for mobile health stations in enterprises.

Human resources for isolation and treatment facilities ensured

Referring to the local health sector's plans to adapt to the new situation, Mr. Ha said that as of October 20, the province has received 60 support groups with more than 3,400 people (including 686 doctors, 1,195 nurses, technicians, 1,521 students and 4 servers). There are also 409 people from the military medical force. So far, 39 delegations have finished their tasks while the remaining 21 groups with 579 people continue supporting the province. It is expected that by November 15, these forces will complete their support task in the province. Provincial Department of Health urgently needs to ensure a plan on manpower in the "new normal" state, especially at isolation and treatment facilities.

Concluding the meeting, Mr. Minh asked for localities to recheck and report their amount of Covid-19 vaccines to the province and focus on vaccination with the second dose; complete data input for vaccinations… Departments, sectors and localities need to quickly create a database to prepare for vaccination for children aged 12-17 when there are instructions from the Ministry of Health. Provincial Department of Health need to advise provincial People's Committee on setting up guidance for the operation of the mobile health stations in enterprises; guidance for the development of care group for F0 cases in the community; focus on training and fostering medical staff, doctors and volunteers in quarters and hamlets.

Provincial Department of Health needs to further uphold the effectiveness of the 3-storey treatment model, arranging a sufficient number of resuscitation beds under the Ministry of Health’s criteria; improve the treatment capacity of hospitals, including private ones; proactively respond to the developments of the pandemic. The department will also research on the establishment of "Covid-19 department" at public and non-public medical facilities, ensuring treatment for F0 cases while providing healthcare for patients with common diseases; urgently rearrange Covid-19 treatment facilities with reasonableness ensured and in line with the scale and evolution of the pandemic.

At the meeting, provincial People's Committee Chairman requested localities to direct medical centers to take the initiative in human resources. Medical force should be arranged in parallel to be able to serve field hospitals while receiving and providing healthcare for patients with common diseases. Based on the level of the pandemic, localities will arrange an appropriate number of common treatment facilities, field hospitals, and Covid-19 treatment areas. Initially, they will establish temporary isolation zones and first-floor treatment facilities; regulate medical forces, doctors from preventive medicine units, provincial-level healthcare facilities to support treatment in areas with high population density.

Provincial People's Committee Chairman requested localities to direct medical centers to take the initiative in human resources. Medical force should be arranged in parallel to be able to serve field hospitals while receiving and providing healthcare for patients with common diseases. Based on the level of the pandemic, localities will arrange an appropriate number of common treatment facilities, field hospitals, and Covid-19 treatment areas.

Reported by Hoang Linh-Translated by Kim Tin