A field hospital for COVID-19 treatment in Lai Hưng Commune, Bàu Bàng District, Bình Dương Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Chí Tưởng

HÀ NỘI — The conversion of several former factories into field hospitals, carried out under Ministry of Construction (MoC) guidance, has met several problems related to the Law on Public Investment, according to Bình Dương Province’s leaders.

The MoC special team for COVID-19 prevention and control, led by Deputy Minister Lê Quang Hùng, on Saturday and Sunday checked construction work on field hospitals and collective quarantine centres in Bình Dương and Long An southern provinces.

The two provinces proposed more urgent guidance on field hospital investment and medical waste incinerators.

Leaders of the Bình Dương Province said that the province had 27 treatment centres with more than 34,000 beds. It also has 11 field hospitals with nearly 17,000 beds. Five other field hospitals are being built with more than 15,000 beds.

During the work, they have met several obstacles related to toilet areas and fire prevention and control and the Law on Public Investment.

Specifically, the establishment, appraisal and approval of urgent projects have not clearly specified orders and procedures for implementation, as well as procedures for contractor selection.

Phạm Như Huy, deputy director of the Construction Management Department under the MoC, said that the ministry would give instructions in due course.

After checking, the MoC concluded that Bình Dương Province had actively set up plans for a worsening situation.

The province’s water supply and drainage, garbage collection, field hospital construction, concentrated quarantine centres have met demand so far.

The province has an incinerator to treat hazardous waste and medical waste with a capacity of nearly 400 tonnes per day.

In Long An Province, the MoC also recognised satisfactory results in COVID-19 prevention and control.

The province has 26 field hospitals with more than 13,000 beds, and 36 concentrated quarantine centres with nearly 5,800 beds. The province has plans for up to 20,000-25,000 COVID-19 patients.

The province has more than 1,400 clean water pumping stations with a total capacity of nearly 450,000 cubic metres per day.

Waste water from concentrated quarantine areas and field hospitals is collected in the treatment system and disinfected, ensuring compliance with national standards on medical waste water before being discharged into the environment.

Ngô Hoàng Nguyên, deputy director of the Southern Affairs Department under the MoC, proposed Long An Province continue ensure clean water supply for residents, especially for field hospitals, quarantine centres and lockdown areas.

Drainage should be checked to avoid pollution affecting residents who are quarantined and treated.

At present, treatment areas and quarantine centres in the province discharge about 10-15 tonnes of waste per day.

The province has also invested in six medical waste incinerators with a total capacity of 10 tonnes per day.

The province has also created inspection teams to check waste water, garbage and environmental sanitation in COVID-19 treatment areas and quarantine centres.

The MoC inspection team asked Long An Province to check that field hospitals and concentrated quarantine centres had proper plans for arranging patients and people needing quarantine. — VNS