Upholding effectiveness of grassroots anti-Covid-19 "fortress"

Early October 18, provincial Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control held an online conference to partially review its model of mobile health station and home-based care for F0 cases. The conference was chaired by Nguyen Van Loi, member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of provincial Party Committee, Head of provincial National Assembly Deputy Delegation and Vo Van Minh, Vice-Secretary of provincial Party Committee, Chairman of provincial People's Committee. Over the past time, the effective operation of grassroots anti-epidemic "fortresses", with the important role of mobile health stations has helped thousands of F0 cases confidently take treatment at home and overcome the pandemic.

Effectiveness of care, treatment for F0 cases

Under the Ministry of Health’s decision and provincial Party Standing Committee’s direction, Thuan An city and Tan Uyen town, on August 21, set up labor mobile health stations in communes and wards. The province has so far established 149 mobile health stations in 91 communes, wards and townships. Among them, there are 26 stations operating in industrial parks and compounds. These health stations have the functions of implementing anti-Covid-19 prevention and control activities in the community, connecting care and management of people infected with Covid-19 at home with hospitals; detecting severe cases and opportunely transfering them to hospitals for treatment while providing primary healthcare services for patients with common diseases.

A mobile health station in Tan Uyen town’s Hoi Nghia ward takes samples for Covid-19 testing on employees

According to statistics, the whole province has so far taken care of more than 16,400 F0 cases at home, lodging facilities and companies, including more than 4,200 getting care at mobile health stations. Among them, 14,508 have recovered from the pandemic. Along with that, the local mobile health stations have given health consultancy for more than 11,000 people, delivered medicine at home for more than 4,200 cases, transferred 459 severe cases to hospital, performed quick tests for 275,000 people and administered Covid-19 vaccination for more than 367,000 people. In addition, 91 rapid response teams in communes, wards and townships have also distributed 30,500 medicine bags to F0 cases under home treatment. The local medical centers have also singed contacts with 246 recoveries to participate in supporting treatment for F0 cases in isolation, treatment areas and at home.

At the conference, local leaders and delegates all said that this is a creative model with high effectiveness, so the province should have policies to support doctors, nurses, medical staff, volunteers on duty and especially support policies for F0 cases under home treatment. In fact, during the 4th pandemic wave, provincial Department of Health has combined the F0 treatment model at home with the establishment of mobile health station, thereby mobilizing the participation of the community in the local Covid-19 fight. This breakthrough solution has reduced the burden on Covid-19 treatment facilities in the province.

Shyang Hung Cheng Company in Thuan An city’s An Thanh ward is a typical example for the above mentioned thing. With 8,400 employees, the company has arranged a medical team with 1 doctor, 5 nurses and 2 pharmacists and called for volunteers being F0 cases recovering from the pandemic to support Covid-19 testing. This frontline anti-Covid-19 force is not afraid of dangers and hardships and stays at the company to carry out pandemic prevention and control.

Helping people access medical services remotely and early

Speaking at the conference, Mr.Minh said that during the pandemic outbreak in the province, the operations of mobile health stations have contributed to reducing overload on the upper-level treatment system and reducing the morality rate of Covid-19 patients when being got access to healthcare services remotely and early. With the goal of "taking communes and wards as fortresses against the pandemic, people as soldiers", provincial Department of Health needs to quickly guide community-based anti-Covid-19 groups to take care of F0 cases at home; speed up the establishment of mobile health stations in industrial parks and compounds to handle F0 cases at enterprises when production and business activities are recovering.

Concluding the conference, Mr. Loi said that after 3 months of fighting the pandemic with the efforts of the whole political system, the pandemic situation in the province is basically controlled. The valuable experience in fighting the pandemic, the effectiveness of the model of mobile health station in association with treatment of F0 cases at home showed that fighting the pandemic has required the drastic intervention of the whole political system, but especially the role of heads of the Party Committees with the motto of "Communes, wards and towns are "fortresses", people are "soldiers". The effective operation of the “fortresses” at the grassroots level has helped people access medical services from a far, early, reducing the mortality rate and the overload on upper-level hospitals.

In addition to taking care of F0 cases at mobile health stations, the province has carried out this process at home, lodging facilities and companies. At the conference, provincial Party Committee Secretary also agreed on a support policy for doctors, nurses, medical staff and volunteers who participate in supporting F0 cases at home. Regarding urgent tasks, provincial Party Committee Secretary asked for the whole political system to continue strengthening anti-Covid-19 groups in the community and enterprises because this is the extension arm of the authorities to take the earliest and fastest care of people and workers’health. All-level authorities, sectors and localities must complete the coverage of mobile health stations in enterprises and industrial parks no later than October 30 so that the province will conduct a preliminary review of Covid-19 prevention and control during the 4^th pandemic wave on November 6 ahead.

The province has so far established 149 mobile health stations in 91 communes, wards and townships. Among them, there are 26 stations operating in industrial parks and compounds. According to statistics, the whole province has so far taken care of more than 16,400 F0 cases at home, lodging facilities and companies, including more than 4,200 getting care at mobile health stations. Among them, 14,508 have recovered from the pandemic. Along with that, the local mobile health stations have given health consultancy for more than 11,000 people, delivered medicine at home for more than 4,200 cases, transferred 459 severe cases to hospital, performed quick tests for 275,000 people and administered Covid-19 vaccination for more than 367,000 people.

*Dr. Nguyen Hong Chuong, Director of provincial Department of Health: The local health sector is facing a shortage of doctors and on-site human resources while the number of F0 cases under home treatment is increasing. For the model of mobile health station and home-based treatment for F0 cases getting more effective, provincial Department of Health (DoH) will consolidate human resources of 137 mobile health stations in accordance with population density, industrial parks and compounds. It is expected that provincial DoH will support human resources for 46 mobile health stations in Thuan An city, Di An city and Tan Uyen town with about 230 people who are unpaid from the State budget. Binh Duong Medical College is expected to open training classes by the end of October.

*Nguyen Thu Cuc, Chairwoman of Thu Dau Mot city’s People's Committee: Implementing the model of mobile health station, the city has established 42 stations in wards and received 2,947 F0 cases under home treatment, including 1,773  at lodging facilities, 15 at enterprises, 1,033 at home and 126 at mobile health stations. The mobile health stations have supported and reduced pressure on the local health stations in the management, home care of F0 cases, health consultation, out-of-hospital emergency..., thereby contributing to giving timely healthcare, reducing the risk of serious pandemic progression and death.

*Doan Hong Tuoi, Chairman of Tan Uyen town’s People's Committee: Tan Uyen town has a total population of more than 500,000 people, more than 50% of whom are laborers at more than 1,800 enterprises. Over the past time, 19 mobile health stations in enterprises, industrial parks and compounds have effectively supported enterprises in early detecting Covid-19 cases; promptly handling and minimizing the impacts of the pandemic on production and business activities. However, the local mobile health stations have not been guided support policies for participants from authorities. For mobile health stations in enterprises, industrial parks and compounds, private clinics, they need legal guidance on operation permits.

Reported by Kim Ha-Translated by Kim Tin