HCMC – Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long today, August 19, chaired an online meeting discussing anti-virus measures, including setting up a pop-up healthcare station model in HCMC, Long An, Dong Nai and Binh Duong.
Due to the unpredictable development of Covid-19, it is necessary to attach much importance to treating and caring for Covid-19 patients, said Minister Long.
The mobile healthcare station model is aimed at helping residents, mainly Covid-19 patients, access health services easily. The pop-up healthcare stations will be established in more populous communes and wards.
Though each commune or ward has one healthcare center, more healthcare stations should be set up due to the rising number of infections in several southern provinces, especially in HCMC, it was announced at the meeting.
HCMC as the largest coronavirus hotspot will start setting up pop-up healthcare stations first, while other provinces will prepare to activate the model, if necessary, said Long.
Long also said that the ministry would issue temporary guidance on monitoring, caring for and treating Covid-19 patients at home and guidance on the operation of the pop-up healthcare station model.
The pop-up healthcare stations can be set up at stadiums, cultural houses, the headquarters of communes and wards or residents’ houses, Long said.
Each station will have one or two doctors and five-seven nurses, and is equipped with two oxygen tanks, oxygen masks and some medical equipment.
Apart from examining residents’ health conditions and treating Covid-19 patients, the mobile healthcare stations must conduct Covid-19 tests and vaccinate residents against Covid-19, the local media reported.
The provincial and municipal governments will assume responsibility for monitoring the operation of the mobile stations and providing them with ambulances to transfer ill patients to higher-level hospitals.
The health minister also asked HCMC to staff the pop-up healthcare stations and report the number of medical workers the city needs to the ministry.
