To ensure safety of patients, health workers and the community, medical facilities in the province have actively upgraded Covid-19 prevention and control measures. In addition to adequate standard personal protective equipment, medical facilities also tighten the management of patients having with suspected symptoms or unclear epidemiological history.
Online health declaration at Hanh Phuc International Hospital for disease prevention.
To proactively prevent and combat Covid-19
At Hanh Phuc International Hospital, since the Covid-19 appeared, the hospital has actively implemented many measures to prevent and control the epidemic, such as: Establish a separate council, steering committee, and rapid response team to all Covid-19 situations, develop procedures and direct the prevention and control of diseases in compliance with recommendations of Department of Health and Ministry of Health.
Dr. Le Thi Thu Thao, Medical Director, Chairman of Hanh Phuc International Hospital's Medical Council, said: “Hanh Phuc International Hospital is always ready, proactively develops plans and responds quickly to the Covid-19. This is applied synchronously and simultaneously to both the hospital and clinics in Ho Chi Minh City. The top priority goal is not to let the Covid-19 spread, ensure safety for patients and health workers".
The training of health workers and communication to customers was carried out very early, from 17th Dec 2019 and has been continued until now based on regulations and directions of Department of Health, Ministry of Health. Hospital staff were trained and updated on disease prevention and control measures, fully equipped with labor protection equipment: medical masks, disposable costumes according to Ministry of Health standards to ensure the prevention of exposure.
From 3rd Feb, the hospital has screened all employees, customers, patients, family members, and partners... before entering the facilities. Customers' body temperature is taken. Customers are instructed to wash hands regularly, always wear face mask, keep a distance of 2m, make online medical declarations; make online medical declaration at kiosk system at the entrance: users use on-screen virtual keyboard to declare names, addresses, relevant epidemiological factors, suspicious symptoms, relationships with suspected or infected people, disinfect hands before and after the declaration. The classification of patients is strictly performed.
A quarantine room available for all suspected Covid-19 infections has been prepared by the hospital. The hospital also quickly put into use a screening room and temporary quarantine container located outside the hospital building, to examine clients with epidemiological factors or symptoms suspected of Covid-19 in order to ensure that the inner environment of the hospital is not cross-contagious from patient to patient or from patient to medical staff and vice versa.
Since the epidemic outbreak, officials and employees of Binh Duong Private General Hospital have determined to fight against the epidemic like fighting against the enemy. Dr. Tran Quoc Thanh, Director of Binh Duong Private General Hospital, said that from the first days, the hospital established a Steering Committee and anti-epidemic squad, gave support to frontline soldiers. The hospital implemented disease prevention and control actions based on guiding documents and actual situation of their unit.
Accordingly, the hospital tightens the practice of medical examination, especially in management of patients and their family; guaranteed that body temperature of 100% people coming to the hospital is measured, all people disinfect hands, wear face mask and carry out health declaration to early detect suspected cases or epidemiological factors. Suspected patients are quarantined, examined according to the prescribed process. During the social distancing period, to limit exposure, the hospital encourages 40-50% its staff to work from home, restrict visits, allows only 1 family member to stay with one patient, ensure the minimum distance of 2m between two people. To ensure enough medical masks for their staff, especially medical personnel directly examining patients, the hospital set up a reserving plan.
According to Dr. Thanh, in the provincial Department of Health's inspection on 8 April on the enforcement of Covid-19 prevention and control regulations, the hospital received good assessments on medicines, medical equipment, medical masks, ensuring hand hygiene, meeting requirements for disease prevention. Besides, the hospital collaborated with Health center of TDM City to implement the responding plan for a possible epidemic outbreak.
To tighten the screening process
In order to upgrade prevention control measures in the new situation, medical centers have many new and innovative ways to tighten further the screening process, welcome patients. At Medical Center of Phu Giao District, 4 sinks were set up for hand cleansing at the entrance; emergency area is separate from examination area for Covid-19 suspected cases. Security guards instruct all people to wash hands before entering the medical center. Hand sinks are equipped with antiseptic solutions, hand soap, and paper towels for people. After washing hands, people are instructed by the medical staff to wear face mask, examined epidemiological factors, make medical declaration. All medical stations in the district also set up hand sinks for disease prevention.
Medical center of Di An City has a large number of workers often visiting and receiving treatment here, thus the center makes the most out of appointment scheduling via phone numbers. This reduces the number of people coming, waiting at the same time, ensures the distance of 2m. In particular, the medical staff cooperate with local government to encourage 100% of households with elderly people, chronic illnesses to perform medical declarations and regularly update health information; provide telephone number, appointment for periodic medicine delivery at the medical center on several fixed days for patients with chronic illness, elderly people to receive medicines.
Do Viet Hung, Deputy Director of Di An City Medical Center, said: "The center prepared and reserved equipment, medicines, consumable materials, responding plans to the epidemic. The Center also guarantees adequate personal protective equipment for medical staff, sets up a quarantine plan for health workers, sick people, family members of patients, manage and examine organizations, individuals who perform external services such as laundry, security, cleaning, and booths in the center.
According to the direction of Ministry of Health, during this period, it is necessary to further improve the quality of medical facilities in the disease prevention and control, examination of diseases, limit referrals. Dr. Huynh Thanh Ha, Deputy Director of provincial Health Department, said: "Hospitals must ensure adequate personal protective equipment for all medical staff when examining and treating infected or suspected Covid-19 cases. All persons coming to health facilities and showing suspected symptoms or having unclear epidemiological history are considered to be at risk of Covid-19 infection (F1).
Reported by Kim Ha - Translated by Ngoc Huynh
