Doctors and nurses from the Huế Central Hospital leave for Bắc Giang to help fight the spread of the novel coronavirus. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Eighteen doctors and nurses from the central city of Huế are heading to Bắc Giang to help fight the spread of the novel coronavirus.

They are to take charge of a field hospital in the northern province and to support virus screening, tracing and to provide treatment to COVID-19 patients. 

"We intend to stay as long as it takes until the virus is put under control. This is also an opportunity for us to learn about the virus and how to treat COVID-19 patients," said nurse Đặng Quốc Bảo

Nguyễn Thanh Xuân, vice-director of Huế Central Hospital, said the team consists of elite doctors and nurses, who had previously trained and worked in combating the virus. Xuân said the hospital is willing to send another team if needed. 

Another team of 10 also left for the northern province yesterday from Đà Nẵng, one of the cities which was hit hard by the virus last year. All ten already received their first shot of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. 

Ngô Thị Kim Yến, head of the city's health department, said the team will be in charge of patients who are in critical condition. 

"We understand this is going to take a while. The team will put in 100 per cent effort to help Bắc Giang fight the virus," she said. 

Nearly 26,000 medical workers and students have signed up to volunteer to go to Bắc Giang and Bắc Ninh. Currently, more than 2,300 medical workers and students have joined the front line with local healthcare workers since the end of May. 

"We've made preparations and will be able to dispatch a large number of health workers to Bắc Giang should the situation get worse," said deputy minister of health Nguyễn Trường Sơn.

Sơn said at the moment a team of 700 health workers are working around the clock to collect samples for testing in the northern province. Intense summer heat in recent days has forced the team to work mainly in the early morning and evening to avoid exhaustion. 

The ministry has set a target to vaccinate 100,000 workers in numerous industrial parks within the province in the next ten days. — VNS