The Hanoi Steering Committee on Covid-19 Prevention and Control on August 18 asked hospitals in the city to practice social distancing and curb patient visit in order to prevent cross-infection, Kinh Te & Do Thi reported.

Hospitals and medical facilities in Hanoi city need to enforce social distancing measures. Illustrative photo

Hospitals and medical facilities in Hanoi city are requested to enforce social distancing measures. Accordingly, one seriously ill patient is allowed to have only one caregiver and the caregiver would not be changed until the patient’s discharge.

Monitoring people entering and leaving the hospitals would be tightened while those inside the hospitals should stay one meter away from each other. Hospitals are requested to keep indoor environment well ventilated and perform comprehensive patient care in emergency and intensive care units.

The municipal Steering Committee also requests health facilities to monitor and take measures to ensure maximum safety and prevent high-risk patients from acquiring the virus, especially the elderly and people with underlying medical conditions.

The hospitals and medical facilities need to report results of the pandemic prevention and control to the Steering Committee and to the municipal Department of Health before August 25.

Directors and heads of hospitals and medical facilities would be held responsible if there is any breach of the regulations on Covid-19 prevention and control detected in their areas of responsibility.

The Hanoi Department of Health has been assigned to coordinate with the People's Committees of districts and towns to check medical facilities in the area, focusing on enforcing the measures of screening, detecting and preventing Covid-19 transmission in hospitals and ensuring safety for patients, patient's family members and health workers.

The Department of Health must also handle hospitals that fail to meet the pandemic prevention and control requirements; remind or even request competent authorities to close the hospitals that do not comply with measures to prevent and control the pandemic.