Respiratory ventilators with air compressor, ultrasound machines and portable X-ray machines are figuratively likened to “pairs of eyes” or “another arm” for frontline doctors in the fight against Covid-19, helping them to assess Covid patient conditions and then to recommend treatment regimen.
Growing concerns of management
It is thought that doctors are trained to have nerves of steel, yet they talk about the bitter fight against SARS-CoV-2 in a choked voice.
When the number of Covid patients increased dramatically, Pham Ngoc Thach Hospital was repurposed and reshaped to be a split hospital to treat Covid patients in critical conditions.
The hospital planned to increase Covid sick beds up to 741, but sometimes more than 900 patients were hospitalized. At the peak, many medical staff became positive with SARS-CoV-2 including some in critical conditions requiring ventilator breathing systems.
Simultaneously, Pham Ngoc Thach Hospital had to comply with Official Dispatch 4407/SYT-NVY dated July 10th 2021, requiring that the hospital have separate examining areas for patients with respiratory diseases, especially severe diseases and emergency. Despite its leading national scale facilities, there are only 100 sick beds with mechanical ventilators connected to built-in compressed air systems in the department of intensive care and toxicological control. But there are frequently nearly 500 patients in critical conditions in need of mechanical ventilators at the same time.
“The biggest problem is not the lack of mechanical ventilators, but that of compressed air systems. Hence, respiratory ventilators with air compressors are the best solution at the moment,” said a representative of Pham Ngoc Thach Hospital.
Besides respiratory ventilators with air compressors, the representative of Pham Ngoc Thach Hospital said that they also need portable X-ray machines. According to pulmonologists, having lungs of Covid patients X-rayed is essential for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment. However, patients with mechanical ventilators connected to built-in compressed air systems cannot be transferred to the X-ray Ward. This causes great concerns to the management in this frontline hospital.
In Thu Duc Hospital as the top-tier district hospital, there is strong pressure to conform. According to Specialist II Nguyen Lan Anh, vice director of the hospital, there are 50 departments with 1,931 staff and 800 patient beds. Under normal circumstances, the hospital often increases patient beds up to 1,000 in order to treat 6,000 – 6,500 outpatients and 700 – 800 inpatients every day.
When the Covid-19 wave peaked, Thu Duc Hospital applied for repurposing itself into a split hospital. One half of the hospital is for treating other diseases while the other half is for treating Covid patients with 600 beds, 300 of which are for resuscitation. Besides, there are six other satellite sites of Thu Duc Hospital treating Covid patients. As of December 15th 2021, more than 12,800 Covid positive cases had been admitted in those hospital facilities.
According to the representative of Thu Duc hospital, doctors must take good care of and pay much attention to Covid patients with symptoms by regularly giving them ultrasound, Xray and other tests to detect signals of severity and conform to the treatment regimen.
“In reality, the more field hospitals and quarantine areas are established, the more portable state-of-the-art medical equipment is needed,” said Doctor Lan Anh.
Dreams are actualized
Aware of the concern of Pham Ngoc Thach Hospital management over the situation, Phuc Khang Corporation granted two special gifts which are an Ultra High Frequency Mobile Analog Xray Machine and two respiratory ventilators with air compressor worth more than VND3.1 billion. Among them, the Xray machine produces accurate images, perfect safety and portability. The two respiratory ventilators with air compressor are the most state-of-the-art ones in Vietnam, embedded with ultrasonic air flow transmitter working independently from built-in compressed air systems thanks to their turbine technologies.
“This is the liberation from obstacles for not only inpatients but also medical staff and management,” said the representative of Pham Ngoc Thach hospital in a choked voice in the ceremony.
Doctor Lan Anh said that she was extremely happy upon learning that Phuc Khang Corporation would donate an ultra-high frequency mobile analog Xray machine and an ultrasound machine with 3 transducer probes. These two devices are the most state-of-the-art and portable, greatly support the hospital to meet the rising demand for treatment.
“The news that Phuc Khang Corporation will donate two medical devices to the value of nearly VND3 billion came as a complete surprise. The timely and opportune support of the corporation is more than a dream to our medical team,” cheerfully said Doctor Lan Anh.
According to Madam Luu Thi Thanh Mau, CEO of Phuc Khang Corporation, the activity of granting medical equipment is a part of the campaign “The Green Heart of Giftivism” of the corporation. The commitment to have finance VND20 billion to the fight against Covid-19 is demonstrated by giving 11,000 gifts of necessities to people in hardships, launching “kitchen of compassion” to deliver more than 20,000 nutritious meals to the frontline forces and people in quarantine or lockdown areas. What is more, with the spirit of “empathy” and “giving unconditionally and compassionately”, Phuc Khang Corporation granted state-of-the-art medical equipment to frontline hospitals to support the treatment of Covid patients timely and effectively as well as to ease the burden of medical teams.
Phuc Khang Corporation has already donated four state-of-the-art color Doppler ultrasound machines valued at VND6.3 billion to HCMC University Medical Center and will continue to grant necessary medical equipment to five other frontline hospitals in the city.
At the ceremony, the CEO of Phuc Khang Corporation spent time listening to and understanding the real demands of each hospital in order to present both state-of-the-art and meet-the-moment devices.
“Had we sat still, Phuc Khang Corporation would have donated a normal ventilator or an X-ray machine. After further research, we could learn with empathy what frontline medical teams are expecting, which benefits our companionship,” said Madam Mau.
Mr. Nguyen Hoai Nam, Vice Director of the HCMC Department of Health expresses his gratitude to Phuc Khang Corporation in the fight against Covid-19, especially its donation of necessary medical devices urgently needed by the medical teams. In addition to determined leadership from authorities and departments, it is the support of corporations and people that help control the pandemic in HCMC, helping our lives to “new normal state”.
