Medics from Chợ Rẫy Hospital are deployed to Bình Thuận Province to help the local hospital treat patients with COVID-19.  Photo courtesy of Chợ Rẫy Hospital

HCM CITY — The Chợ Rẫy Hospital in HCM City will distribute dozens of thousands of personal protective equipment like masks, protective suits, and gloves to Bình Thuận Province in a bid to support the local health sector during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

The Ministry of Health on Wednesday directed the hospital to use medical supplies from a national stockpile stored at the hospital to distribute to the province.

A total of 50,000 surgical masks, 2,000 N95 respirators, and 4,000 protective suits will be sent to the provincial Department of Health which will be distributed to medical facilities in the province.

Bình Thuận Province’s People’s Committee had asked the Government to provide its health care system with 5,000 protective suits, 200,000 surgical masks and 10,000 N95 respirators, which will be crucial to protect doctors and nurses on the front lines of the pandemic.

It also asked for 10,000 gloves, 500 hand-held thermometers, and 10,000 protective suits for preventive medicine workers.

As of March 18, there were nine confirmed COVID-19 cases in the province. All of the patients are being treated at the Bình Thuận Province General Hospital and are in stable health condition, according to the province’s Department of Health.

In March 11, Chợ Rẫy Hospital deployed medics to the province to support the local hospital to treat infected patients and offer guidance on early detection and prompt quarantine to prevent the disease from spreading.

The Ministry of Health has formed multiple rapid response teams to deal with infections at commune and district levels, with health staff from central hospitals deployed to support them. — VNS