Following the detection of a caregiver contracting COVID-19 on Tuesday afternoon, the Da Nang General Hospital, the largest of its kind in the city, has immediately activated the internal red alert system to prevent the spread of the deadly virus, and kept medical examination and treatment activities in place as normal.

Those who want to access medical checkups and treatment services are required to make mandatory medical declarations, have their measure body temperature before being admitted to the Da Nang General Hospital.

The 32-year-old man residing in Dien Ban Town, neighbouring Quang Nam Province was permitted to take care of his seriously ill father who is being treated in the Department of Endocrinology and Nephrology of the Da Nang General Hospital on June 27 after he tested negative for the deadly virus for the first time earlier on the same day. However, the man had his nasal swab samples taken for COVID-19 testing for the second time, and his test turned positive on Tuesday. Meanwhile, his father is confirmed to be free from the virus.

During his stay in the hospital for taking care of his ill father, the man showed no symptoms of fever, cough, shortness of breath or chest tightness due to

Till date, 33 people who came into contact with the confirmed COVID-19 case tested negative for SARS-CoV-2.

On Wednesday morning, all medical examination and treatment activities at the hospital took place normally.

Those who want to access medical checkups and treatment services are required to   make mandatory medical declarations, have their measure body temperature before being admitted to the hospital, and keep a safe distance from others as well.

During the screening, anyone who shows COVID-19 infection symptoms such as cough, fever and shortness of breath and chest tightness upon arrival at the hospital will be separated from others right away and get tested for the virus detection. They will be allowed to enter the hospital as long as they test negative for the virus.

This out-patient admission process has been implemented by the Da Nang General Hospital from 2020 in line with major criteria set by the Vietnamese Ministry of Health on implementing compulsory COVID-19 prevention measures.

Doctor Le Duc Nhan, the Director of Da Nang General Hospital, said that the hospital now accommodates more than 1,100 in-patients, a decrease of about 50% as compared to the pre-pandemic time.

In addition, the hospital has minimise the number of private caregivers of the in- patients in a bid to limit the risk of COVID-19 infection.

Currently, only about 90 people are allowed to take care of their under-treatment family members in this medical establishment

Besides fulfilling their professional tasks, medical staff, especially nurses, now act caregivers of the in-patients. They are in charge of support the patients in terms of food provision, personal hygiene, and movement. This usually puts the medical staff under pressure due to work overload, but in return helps to minimise the exposure to the virus.

Every Tuesday, the hospital offers COVID-19 tests to a total of about 2,500 people, including medical staff, in-patients and their caregivers.

According to doctor Ngo Thi Kim Yen, the Director of the municipal Department of Health, medical establishments across the city which are facing a high risk of coronavirus infections must strictly embrace the compulsory COVID-19 prevention measures.

“In addition to implementing the 5K recommendations of the Ministry of Health, namely khau trang (facemask), khu khuan (disinfection), khoang cach (distance), khong tu tap (no gathering), and khai bao y te (health declaration), hospitals are required to conduct COVID-19 tests on those with suspected symptoms of COVID-19. This is a prerequisite for timely detection of the deadly virus and limiting cross-infection inside the hospital,” said doctor Yen. 

Reporting by PHAN CHUNG – Translating by A.T