Locals in HCM City are vaccinated at Lãnh Binh Thăng Sport Stadium in District 11 as part of the fifth phase of the city's vaccination drive. VNA/VNS Photo Hồng Giang

HCM CITY — The HCM City Department of Health has changed from a four-level to five-level admission and treatment plan for COVID-19 patients.

First-level treatment is for asymptomatic COVID-19 patients with no underlying medical conditions and no obesity. They are brought to quarantine facilities in districts where they are screened by local health officials to determine if they can spend quarantine at home.

The number of patients in this category is estimated to account for nearly 50 per cent of the city’s total number of cases.  

At the second level, field hospitals are in charge of treating symptomatic patients with underlying medical conditions and providing emergency aid for those whose condition becomes worse before they are transferred to hospitals at the third level.  

The number of patients in this category is estimated to account for nearly 27 per cent of the total.

At the third level, designated hospitals that have been changed into ones for COVID-19 treatment admit moderately and severely ill symptomatic patients. The number of patients in the category accounts for nearly 10 per cent.    

At the fourth level, hospitals such as the Hospital for Tropical Diseases and Chợ Rẫy Hospital treat COVID patients with severe underlying medical conditions who need specialised medical intervention.

These hospitals need high-end ICU ventilators and continuous hemofiltration machines. The number of patients at the hospitals accounts for nearly 8 per cent of the total.

At the fifth level, the COVID-19 Patient Resuscitation Hospital with modern resuscitation equipment treats patients with life-threatening risks.    

Chairman of the People’s Committee Nguyễn Thành Phong said the city needs 927 doctors and 4,137 nurses and technicians to treat COVID patients.   

It also needs 2,000 medical professionals who can conduct COVID-19 tests and give vaccines.

Earlier, the Ministry of Health assigned 1,936 health staff from hospitals in Hà Nội and other provinces to come to HCM City for assistance.

Moreover, 1,601 lecturers and students at medical schools in the country have been assigned to assist the city.

The ministry said that more than 2,000 ventilators, hemofiltration machines and oxygen generators, and more than 12 million masks have been provided to the warehouse at Chợ Rẫy Hospital for COVID-19 prevention and control in the city and the southern region.

Three extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machines have been provided to the city and Đồng Nai Province.

The ministry this week will provide 500 high-flow oxygen therapy systems and other kinds of medical equipment to the city and southern region.

As of July 22 evening, 46,178 COVID-19 patients have been recorded since late April when the outbreak began. Of these, 562 have needed respiratory aid. VNS