Vietnam strives to save serious Covid-19 patients

Vietnam is taking all efforts to cure serious Covid-19 patients and protect frontline health workers in the fresh coronavirus outbreak, Dr. Luong Ngoc Khue, head of the Administration of Medical Examination and Treatment under the Ministry of Health, said at a meeting on May 11.

“Currently, there are six serious Covid-19 patients nationwide; among them, one is very in a life-threatening condition,” Khue said.

He added that at major hospitals such as Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases and Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi, Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, doctors have paid special attention on critically-ill Covid-19 patients.

Lockdown on the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Hanoi. Photo: VNA

"Over the past two days, leading doctors have conducted online consultation to treat severe Covid-19 patients. As we have little understanding of the new variant of virus, all people must be on high alert," he stressed.

The fresh coronavirus outbreak has greatly affected numerous ​​hospitals across the country. Ten hospitals have been put under lockdown and isolation after Covid-19 cases were detected in those healthcare centers over the past days.

Two of them are leading national hospitals in treating cancer and Covid-19 namely the Vietnam National Cancer Hospital (K Hospital) and the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases (NHTD), respectively. Both are located in Hanoi.

The infection at NHTD becomes the greatest concern as it is the leading hospital in Vietnam in treating Covid-19 patients, mostly cases of critical conditions.

The remaining hospitals include those in the northern provinces of Vinh Phuc, Lang Son, Thai Binh, and one in the central province of Nghe An.

“There have never been so many hospitals that had to be put under lock down or quarantine like in the fourth Covid-19 wave,” Khue emphasized.

The disease broke out in referral hospitals, where many patients came for medical examination and treatment, so they infected their community when returned home, Khue noted.

Therefore, all Vietnam’s hospitals need to map out contingency plans in case of being put under lock down to curb Covid-19 spread.