Officials of the Health Ministry and the provincial People's Committee visit Bình Dương Emergency Resuscitation Field Hospital in southern Bình Dương Province on Thursday afternoon.— Photo moh.gov.vn

BÌNH DƯƠNG— Bình Dương Emergency Resuscitation Field Hospital, specialising in treating patients with severe COVID-19, has been put into operation on Thursday in the southern province of Bình Dương’s Thuận An District.

The field hospital, with a total of 437 beds, was built inside the Becamex International General Hospital in just six days, to treat COVID-19 patients in the province.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the field hospital on Thursday, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyễn Trường Sơn said the field hospital was built thanks to the great efforts of local authorities as well as the support of both human resources and medical equipment from the Government and Hà Nội Medical University Hospital.

Sơn also said when the number of COVID-19 patients increased very quickly in the province, with many severe cases, the local authorities proposed the ministry set up the field hospital.

Associate Professor Nguyễn Lân Hiếu, director of Hà Nội Medical University Hospital, who was recently assigned to be the head of the field hospital, said it was implemented very quickly thanks to requisition of the available facilities and modern machinery from Becamex International General Hospital.

We are now focused on upgrading rooms to increase the number of intensive care unit (ICU) beds and preparing oxygen and compressed air, ventilators and dialysis machines, he added.

The field hospital could conduct ECMO techniques to treat critically ill COVID-19 patients, he said.

The field hospital includes medical staff of Hà Nội Medical University Hospital, Becamex International General Hospital, Bình Dương General Hospital and teams of doctors and nurses from many localities, especially from the northern provinces, he said.

Võ Văn Minh, chairman of the People’s Committee of Bình Dương Province, said at the opening ceremony of the field hospital that he thanked the health ministry, Associate Professor Nguyễn Lân Hiếu as well as all medical staff.

Minh also said he hoped all doctors and medical staff of the field hospital would overcome difficulties and improve the efficiency of treatment for COVID-19 patients.

On August 12, the number of COVID-19 cases in Bình Dương was 3,028, bringing the total number of cases in the province to 36,776 since the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.— VNS