Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam pays a working visit to inspect COVID-19 prevention and control work at the 175 Military Hospital in HCM City on Tuesday morning. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam urged the 175 Military Hospital in HCM City to mobilise all possible medical sources to combat the pandemic.

He paid a working visit to inspect the COVID-19 prevention and control work at the hospital on Tuesday morning.

Since the pandemic broke out in HCM City, the 175 Military Hospital has assisted the city in testing and vaccinating people.

The hospital on July 16 put into operation a COVID-19 treatment centre for patients in a moderate to severe condition. The centre was established in just 48 hours.

According to Major General Nguyễn Hồng Sơn, the hospital director, after the first week, the centre received 83 patients, of which 23 patients required mechanical ventilation, two patients required dialysis and one required ECMO treatment.

The hospital is studying plans to cope with a large influx of patients and is ready to offer assistance to military hospitals in the southeastern region.

Deputy PM Đam praised the hospital for its contribution to the fight against COVID-19. He said the virus was being spread widely in HCM City and other neighbouring localities, requiring local authorities to take special measures to respond.

“People need to accept sacrificing personal interests, give up some personal habits and needs for a while to avoid heavy losses that might be caused when the pandemic situation is far beyond the control of the medical system,” he said.

He urged HCM City to map out plans for different scenarios of the pandemic’s development and prepare human resources and medical equipment to receive a large number of patients. The Ministry of Health, relevant sectors and localities must send medical equipment to facilities treating serious cases.

He said there must be no shortage of protective equipment for healthcare and frontline workers.

In the context of an increasing number of patients, sectors and localities must focus on treatment targets of each layer in the five-layer treatment model, he said.

"HCM City’s mission now is to ensure strict observance of social distancing rules, protecting medical workers and ensuring collaboration between sectors, and localities in receiving and transferring patients," Đam said.

Colonel General Võ Minh Lương, Deputy Minister of National Defence and head of the Government’s special working group in HCM City, proposed the health ministry and HCM City’s authorities support 175 Military Hospital with medical equipment to meet treatment demands.

Lương said the Ministry of National Defence would launch blood donation campaigns to ensure blood reserve supply for military and non-military hospitals. — VNS