Vietnam’s Ministry of Health has decided to set up 12 intensive care units (ICU) across the country in the face that Covid-19 has caused nearly 140,000 infections.

In an intensive care unit in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Dan Tri

The Ministry of Health said the to-be-built facilities will accommodate about 8,000 beds in total. It is an “urgent and necessary” task to improve emergency and resuscitation capacity across the country.

These facilities will be available in Bach Mai Hospital-Ha Nam Branch, Viet Duc Hospital-Ha Nam Branch, National Hospital for Tropical Diseases-Dong Anh Branch, Hanoi Medical University Hospital-Thanh Hoa Branch, Hue Central Hospital, Military Medical Hospital 108, Military Medical Hospital 103, Cho Ray Hospital, National Lung Hospital, Can Tho General Hospital, University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City, and big hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC).

By the year-end, Vietnam will have 16,000 ICU beds. The number of health professionals specialized in ICUs is currently more than 2,000.

The ministry has asked more than 30 other hospitals to set up their own ICUs capacity 100-300 beds each upon the request.

In another move, the ministry on July 30 requested the private health sector to take part in the fight against Covid-19. Accordingly, private hospitals and clinic facilities will join the emergency and treatment of Covid-19 cases when required.

Local authorities need to facilitate and provide the private health sector with personal protection equipment (PPE) and bonus like for the public health sector.

Spare no effort to Ho Chi Minh City

On July 29, Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long and leaders of six leading hospitals in Hanoi flew to Ho Chi Minh City to support the fight against Covid-19 in the most populous city.

To date, leaders of 10 big national hospitals including Director of Viet Duc Hospital Tran Binh Giang, NIHE’s Deputy Director Nguyen Trung Cap, and Director of Bach Mai Hospital Nguyen Quang Tuan have been in HCMC.

The aforementioned health professionals together with hundreds of other doctors in leading national hospitals will run the ICUs in the city.

Before, the Health Ministry has sent a Special Task Force led by Deputy Minister Nguyen Truong Son to HCMC and medical equipment to support the country’s largest metropolis.

To better serve the treatment of critical cases in Ho Chi Minh City, Minister Long required suppliers to ensure sufficient medical oxygen to all hospitals at the district level.