Vietnam draws up medical response plans against coronavirus

Vietnam’s Ministry of Health will build field hospitals to isolate and treat patients infected with the new coronavirus (nCoV) in the event of an outbreak with thousands of infections, VnExpress reported.

This is another plan to cope with the outbreak of the new coronavirus. Earlier, the country’s health ministry had built three scenarios.

Nguyen Trong Khoa, deputy director of the ministry's Medical Services Administration, said that in the first scenario, the areas where coronavirus infections are detected will be isolated to minimize spreading in the community.

Chinese patients are being isolated at Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Huu Khoa

In the second scenario, it is necessary to early detect any acute pneumonia patient coming to Vietnam from an epidemic-hit area.

In the third scenario where the number of patients is smaller than 1,000, the local health system needs to quickly respond and promptly isolate the area and handle the outbreaks to prevent the spread.

The fourth scenario is prepared in case the number of infections tops one thousand and field hospitals would be set up.

Vietnam is responding to the new coronavirus outbreak according to the third scenario plan.

The Hanoi’s authorities have also classified four levels for the disease prevention.

In another move, the Hanoi mayor requested local authorities and health sector to boost the production of medical masks to ensure around 15-20 million units in stock and deliver to its citizens in case of outbreak.

Vietnam declared nCoV a national epidemic on February 1 after a person-to-person transmission case.

Vietnam has recorded ten cases positive for the new coronavirus and isolated 78 suspected cases.