The Ministry of Health proposed hospitals set up remote clinics to advise and treat F0 patients at home using Telehealth. Photo suckhoedoisong.vn

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Health has proposed that provincial level hospitals experiencing a complex pandemic situation set up remote clinics to advise and treat F0 patients at home using the Telehealth system.

Deputy Minister of Health Nguyễn Trường Sơn has signed a document for departments of health in provinces and centrally-run cities and hospitals to allow the setting up of remote clinics for consultation and treatment of F0 cases at home.

According to the Ministry of Health, in the face of a complex pandemic in Hồ Chí Minh City and southern provinces, the number of people hospitalised for treatment has increased, causing overload in hospitals. At the same time, the number of patients being treated at home is very large.

In order for hospitals in these localities to be able to set up remote clinics to advise and treat F0 patients at home using Telehealth, the Ministry of Health requested hospitals to develop a plan on personnel organisation, equipment, facilities, and operating regulations of the clinics to submit to the hospital director for approval.

The hospital must arrange personnel with practice certificates suitable to the work of consulting, examining and guiding the treatment of patients. They will have to be on call for 24-hours at the clinic.

Doctors could use existing information technology applications such as Zalo, Zoom, Viber, Messenger, electronic health management book applications and electronic medical records and must provide the most effective support to patients.

At the same time, hospitals must have a phone number published in the media so that people can contact them when they need help.

According to the Ministry of Health, the hospitals can allow licensed doctors to give electronic prescriptions for patients with COVID-19 in case of emergency.

The Ministry of Health also stated that provincial hospitals can request Bạch Mai Hospital, Chợ Rẫy Hospital and other central hospitals to give professional support, experience in organising remote clinics, consulting and treatment for F0s at home.

Increasing the use of Telehealth

Earlier, on August 5, the Ministry of Health also issued a dispatch on increasing the use of Telehealth in the treatment of COVID-19.

Therefore, the Ministry of Health requested the departments of health to direct COVID-19 treatment hospitals under its management to perform the tasks assigned, prioritising the immediate deployment of Telehealth connection between faculties in the hospital and between hospitals.

Hospitals that are assigned to play the role of national and regional resuscitation centres must urgently set up a network of remote consultations with hospitals that collect and treat COVID-19 patients according to their scope of responsibility.

They can use the most convenient communication platforms to guide the classification of patient conditions, emergency consultation, resuscitation, treatment, as well as timely hospitalisation where appropriate.

Hospitals collecting and treating COVID-19 at lower levels will arrange human resources, information technology equipment, transmission lines, and appoint personnel to immediately connect with hospitals in charge for guidance and remote consultation — VNS