Health ministry urges medical personnel support for Thua Thien Hue and Quang Nam

The Ministry of Health (MoH) has requested five centrally-run hospitals send experts to assist local hospitals treating COVID-19 patients in the central provinces of Quang Nam and Thua Thien Hue.

Health workers undergoing training before being dispatched to support local hospitals in Thua Thien Hue and Quang Nam Provinces. (Photo: MoH)
Health workers undergoing training before being dispatched to support local hospitals in Thua Thien Hue and Quang Nam Provinces. (Photo: MoH)

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In an urgent dispatch signed by Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son, the ministry asked the directors of three Ho Chi Minh City-based hospitals, including Cho Ray Hospital, the Ho Chi Minh City Medical and Pharmacy University Hospital and the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases, to support training and directly participating in treating COVID-19 patients at Quang Nam Province’s Central General Hospital.

Amid the complex spread of COVID-19 in Da Nang and some central provinces, the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control and the MoH have directed Quang Nam Central General Hospital to act as a key facility to receive and provide treatment to COVID-19 patients based in Quang Nam province and some neighbouring localities.

On Monday morning (Aug 3), Assoc.Prof., Dr. Luong Ngoc Khue, Head of the MoH’s Administration of Medical Examination and Treatment, also signed two consecutive dispatches sent to two Hanoi-based hospitals, including the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases and the Hanoi Medical University Hospital, asking them to urgently sent missions to support Hue Central Hospital Base 2 in Thua Thien Hue Province in treating COVID-19 patients hospitalised therein.

Also on Monday, the MoH received 50,000 RNA test kits (One-step RT-PCR COVID-19 Kit Thai, Multiplex-3 target genes, Version 1.0) to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus, worth VND20 billion, donated from the Sao Thai Duong JSC.

Representatives from the MoH receive the 50,000 COVID-19 test kits from Sao Thai Duong JSC. (Photo: MoH)

Praising the meaningful support from Sao Thai Duong in the fight against COVID-19, Deputy Health Minister Do Xuan Tuyen said the current need for bio products to diagnose and detect SARS-CoV-2 is huge as localities are speeding up testing to thoroughly detect infections to timely zone and restrain any outbreaks.

Tuyen also expressed his hope that the company would continue to promote the production of its SARS-CoV-2 test kits so as to be ready to serve domestic needs as well as for export. He also urged the company to step up the research and production of other biological products to serve the diagnosis of other viruses.

Previously, Sao Thai Duong’s two COVID-19 diagnostic test kits – One-step RT-PCR COVID-19 kit THAI DUONG and RT-LAMP COVID-19 Kit THAI DUONG – were recognised by the MoH, before being licenced for free circulation in Europe.

In Da Nang on Monday morning, the city’s Department of Health announced that the municipal authorities have agreed on the establishment of community-based COVID-19 working groups, in a bid to deal with the spread of the pandemic in the city.

The popular tourist city has emerged as a hotbed for COVID-19 in Vietnam, with 121 local infections having been detected in the new outbreak since July 25.

A medical worker takes a sample from a Da Nang local for COVID-19 testing. (Photo: NDO/Anh Dao)

Chairman of the People's Committee of Da Nang Huynh Duc Tho requested local authorities establish community-based COVID-19 working groups, which consist of various multiple forces tasked with monitoring the implementation of medical isolation and the health of local residents, as well as the early detection of suspected cases for testing and promptly implementing appropriate isolation and medical intervention.

According to a report from the Da Nang Department of Health, from July 25 to August 3 morning, Da Nang has taken 16,107 COVID-19 tests, of which 10,101 have been confirmed as negative for the coronavirus, while the remaining individuals are awaiting for their results.

Currently, 116 COVID-19 patients are being treated in local hospitals across the city. Da Nang has also identified over 13,000 close contacts of COVID-19 infected cases and arranged quarantine for these.

As of 3 pm this afternoon, the total number of COVID-19 infections in Vietnam stood at 621. Among them, 373 have been recovered, accounting for 60%.