HCMC instructs all hospitals to rejoin Covid fight as incidence spikes

By Le Phuong   December 3, 2021 | 12:07 am PT
HCMC instructs all hospitals to rejoin Covid fight as incidence spikes
Covid-19 patients that are in the process of recovery at the HCMC Hospital for Rehabilitation and Professional Diseases in HCMC's District 8, September 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran
The HCMC Department of Health has instructed all hospitals to set aside areas with at least 10 percent of their beds for treating Covid-19 patients as the disease resurges.

Its director, Tang Chi Thuong, said Thursday that they need to assess their facilities to make arrangements for admitting Covid patients.

Pediatric, infectious diseases and general hospitals that are directly managed by the Ministry of Health or the city are encouraged to set up a dedicated Covid-19 department and intensive care unit.

All hospitals have been told to tighten measures to isolate and screen anyone suspected to have contracted the infection and to avoid possible cross-infection.

The instructions follow a steady rise in the number of new cases, hospitalization and deaths in the city.

The pandemic situation in the entire southern region remains dire.

The appearance of the new strain, Omicron, which is said to be even more contagious than the Delta, should also be a concern, the department said.

The strain has yet to be found in Vietnam.

In the past week HCMC recorded 1,500-1,700 cases a day on average compared to 1,200 the week before.

Only 10 hospitals had earmarked areas for treatment with 4,300 beds in all.

The city also has 29 Covid field hospitals with 30,000 beds and 65 facilities with 9,000 beds for quarantining those that who been diagnosed with Covid but without serious symptoms.

HCMC has been the epicenter of Vietnam’s latest wave since it emerged in April, recording 473,871 cases and more than 18,000 deaths.

It is currently treating 86,000 patients, including 66,000 isolated at home.

Experts have opined the increase in incidence was expected since the city resumed almost all socio-economic activities on Oct. 1 after four months of various levels of restrictions.

More than 6.7 million out of the city’s 13 million people are fully vaccinated.

But the full vaccination rate is 93.7 percent in the case of people aged 18 and above.

 
 
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