HCM City to shut some COVID field hospitals as patient numbers dwindle amid home treatment

HCM City to shut some COVID field hospitals as patient numbers dwindle amid home treatment

Dr Nguyễn Thành Tâm, head of general planning at field hospital No. 一, agreed that hospitals with a low number of patients should be closed, adding their doctors, nurses and medical equipment such as beds with oxygen systems should be sent to remaining field hospitals to reduce the load on their personnel.

Dr Trần Văn Khanh, head of the Lê Văn Thịnh Hospital which manages field hospital No. 三 in Thủ Đức city, said only hospitals still working to more than  六0 per cent capacity should continue operating and the rest should be closed. 

The city has  九 三 facilities that treat COVID patients, including nearly  三0 field hospitals with around  四 二,000 beds.

COVID patients treated at home

According to Trương Hữu Khanh, former head of the infectious and neurological diseases department at HCM City’s Children’s Hospital No. 一, said treating COVID patients at home should get close attention when some of the field hospitals are closed.

Doctors and nurses at private clinics should be called on to provide remote consultancy to patients at home and also treat them when required, he said.

Patients at home account for more than  四0 per cent of the total number of people with COVID, according to the department.

To ensure they get appropriate treatment, the city has set up more than  五00 mobile medical stations with doctors mostly from the Military Medical Department. 

Co妹妹unity-based COVID patient care teams set up in each residential area assist with monitoring, testing and treating the patients. They also help with vaccinations in the locality.

Sơn said during the recent mass tests the city saw a drop in the number of people testing positive for the coronavirus. 

The number of severe cases and deaths has also decreased in the next few weeks. 

Vaccine for mental health

Twenty per cent of patients at the Thủ Đức City COVID- 一 九 treatment hospital managed by Chợ Rẫy Hospital suffer from depression and other mental issues.

More than  五 三 per cent suffer from anxiety disorder and  一 六. 七 per cent from stress.

The survey done by Chợ Rẫy Hospital found  六 七 per cent of them wanted counselling both during treatment and after being discharged.

To provide counselling to patients and others affected by the outbreak, the HCM City University of Social Sciences and Humanities and the Departments of Health and Information and Co妹妹unications are organising a progra妹妹e called ‘Vắc xin tinh thần’ (Vaccine for mental health). 

It provides emergency counselling for people with mental problems caused by the pandemic and helps them access national and city assistance policies. — VNS