Vietnam has reactivated Rapid Response Team (RRT) against Covid-19 as the pandemic is sweeping 19 cities and provinces after 10 days.

A rapid response team against Covid-19. Photo: USAID

The 45 teams, which was set up in January 2020, is aimed to quickly respond to acute respiratory infections.

The RRT’s missions included providing quick response and technical support for hospitals on the treatment of patients and control of infection at health facilities.

At the local level, each Department of Health established two RRTs. Each RRT comprised a hospital leader, emergency resuscitation specialized doctor, infectious disease specialist, infectious disease control officer, emergency resuscitation or an infectious disease specialized nurse and a driver.

In the wake of the outbreak, the Ministry of Health also provided some emergency numbers 19009095 and 19003228 to address inquiries and concerns, in addition to the local hotlines for counseling.

Vietnam could be one of the role models in Covid-19 control for low-resource settings largely thanks to its quick response to the pandemic.

In another move, some cities and provinces have also reactivated the Community Covid-19 Prevention Teams to support other forces in the fight against the pandemic.

Each group usually has 2-5 people who are civilian volunteers, villagers, heads of residential areas, members of unions, among others. Depending on actual conditions, each group is in charge of some 40 to 60 households.

They will report to authorized officials developments relating to Covid-19 like travel history to affected areas and people of symptoms like fever, cough, sore throat, or shortness in breath. They also disseminate the 5K-measure protocol like masking – disinfection – distance – no gathering – and medical declaration.

Prof. Tran Nhu Duong, deputy director of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE), stressed the importance of the teams for their updated and close supervision on the pandemic movement in the locality, saying that the Covid-19 fight needs the contribution of the people, of each individual and household.

Protect health workers

As Covid-19 has attacked nine hospitals across Vietnam, top leaders have demanded tough measures to protect health workers.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam who is head of the National Standing Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control on May 7 asked hospitals nationwide to take tough measures to prevent the transmission of coronavirus while the affected clinics need to be isolated to stop the spread of pandemic.

Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long urged hospitals to screen all high-risk groups coming to the hospitals and regularly testing medical staff, patients and their relatives.

Meanwhile, hospitals are advised to limit the visit by patient relatives