Health facilities asked to accelerate responses amid more complicated outbreak

Acting Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said that the COVID-19 outbreak in recent days is more complicated than the previous one, requiring a faster response to deal with the pandemic.

Acting Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long speaking at the meeting. (Photo: NDO)
Acting Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long speaking at the meeting. (Photo: NDO)

The health official made the remarks at an online meeting held by the Ministry of Health on the morning of August 1 to enhance the professional capacity of medical facilities for the reception, management and treatment of COVID-19 patients.

He noted that the disease was identified at three hospitals in Da Nang, mainly at Da Nang Hospital. When several community infections were reported, the Health Ministry analysed the epidemiological and related factors but has yet to find a link between cases in the community and those in hospitals.

More than 800,000 people visited Da Nang and 41,000 people went to Da Nang Hospital in July. Thus, the ministry asked all localities to make lists and supervise all of these subjects while sending warning messages and guiding them to monitor their health, contact the local health authorities for advice and take tests to detect COVID-19 if needed.

At the same time, all medical facilities are directed to strictly follow infection control rules against COVID-19 infection in accordance with guidelines of the Ministry of Health.

The grassroots health systems were asked to knock on each house to review every person related to the COVID-19 pandemic in Da Nang.

The Health Ministry has also established a special permanent division in Da Nang under the management of Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son to directly deal with the outbreak in the central city.

The most elite medical teams from central hospitals including Bach Mai Hospital were sent to Da Nang to help the detection, testing, and treatment of COVID-19 cases.

Acting Health Minister LONG requested the entire health sector to raise high their determination and responsibility to prevent the pandemic.

* The People's Committee of Da Nang City issued a document on August 1 on the organisation of wide-scale testing for SARS-CoV-2 virus in the city.

The early test of SARS-CoV-2 will be conducted for patients, health care workers at hospitals, people in high-risk or suspected areas, and people with fever, cough, and shortness of breath for early detection and timely isolation.

*At the Phuoc Chi Border Station in Tay Ninh Province, the Border Guard Command, on August 1, launched apropaganda and mass mobilisation month to raise awareness of local people in the border area to prevent and fight against the COVID-19 in new situation.