In the face of new complicated development of the coronavirus pandemic, the Da Nang healthcare sector has increased its level of preparedness, alert and response to identify and treat new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the city.

CDC staff racing against the clock to provide accurate test results as soon as possible

In particular, apart from the Da Nang General Hospital, some public hospitals in the city may be used to treat infected patients in the coming time. The purpose is to ease patient overload at the Da Nang General Hospital, and reduce stress and workload of the hospital’s frontline healthcare workers.

Besides, Da Nang has developed a plan for full deployment and operation of necessary supplies, healthcare personnel and facilities to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

Currently, the city has about 9,000 medical personnel, and all of them are ready to join in the battle against the virus.

The municipal Department of Health is planning to call for medical students, retired doctors and nurses, and healthcare workers from city-based private hospitals, to join the frontlines of the coronavirus fight.

“28 mobile healthcare teams, with each team consisting of 5-7 medical workers, have been set up in the city. These teams will be assigned on duty at medical facilities designated for treating infected patients in case the number of confirmed cases increases significantly” Dr Ngo Thi Kim Yen, Director of the municipal Department of Health, noted.

Meanwhile, the city’s Centre for Disease Control (CDC) has been asked to actively conduct virus tests on all arrivals to Da Nang starting from early March. Most notably, tests on close contacts of the infected patients have been done twice in order to improve the efficiency of epidemic prevention and control.

Also, the municipal government is planning to ask for permission from the Vietnamese Ministry of Health to allow some hospitals in the city to conduct tests for the virus. Included are the Da Nang General Hospital, the Hospital for Lung Diseases, and the Police Hospital No 199. Accordingly, positive test results, which are reported by such hospitals, will be then confirmed by the CDC.

Dr Yen remarked the city has asked for permission from the Vietnamese Ministry of Health to use SARS-CoV-2 test kits to detect coronavirus infections as soon as possible in order to minimise the spread of coronavirus into the community.

By PHAN CHUNG - Translated by MAI DUNG