A household under quarantine in HCM City’s District 1. The city will pilot an initiative to provide home-based care for F0 cases staying at home next week, as the city’s medical facilities are struggling with COVID-19 admission. – Photo tuoitre.vn

HCM CITY – The Ministry of Health plans to pilot an initiative to have COVID-19 patients treated at home with medicines, health supplements and care instructions in HCM City from August 16 at a time when COVID-19 treatment facilities are becoming overwhelmed.

Tests will be carried out at home and in the community and medicines and health supplements will be provided to patients and closely monitored by medical experts.

Food and groceries will be provided to households with patients since their family members will not be allowed to step out.

The ministry will provide detailed guidelines for taking care of patients, monitoring their health and seeking medical assistance if their condition worsens.

Helping COVID patients at home access medical care in time, thus reducing the burden on treatment facilities and fatality rates is of utmost importance, according to the ministry.

Minister of Health Nguyễn Thanh Long said home care would reduce the chance of pandemic spread.

HCM City has been trialling a programme to have asymptomatic patients quarantining at home since mid-July.

Phan Văn Mãi, deputy secretary of the city Party Committee, said medical facilities’ capacity has already been exceeded though the pandemic situation remains dire.

There is also a need for 12,000 more doctors and nurses to treat symptomatic patients with underlying medical conditions.

The city is focusing on reducing the death rate in the next 30 days.

The ministry has updated its treatment regime based on global case studies and the pandemic situation, which indicates that nearly 80 per cent of patients have few or no symptoms.

After piloting it in HCM City, the ministry will consider expanding it to the rest of the country.

According to the HCM City Centre for Disease Control, as of Saturday there were more than 35,000 COVID-positive people quarantined and monitored at home, and another 13,000 in quarantine facilities.

The city is the country’s pandemic epicentre with more than 144,000 cases by 6pm, Saturday. – VNS