HCM City to close COVID field hospitals as pandemic eases

HCM City plans to temporarily shut down two of its three COVID-19 field three-level hospitals, and permanently close those that were shut temporarily since the pandemic situation is under control.

Nguyễn Văn Vĩnh Châu, deputy director of the city Department of Health, said it is part of a plan to reorganise admission and treatment of patients, which would be done soon if the pandemic does not resurge after the Reunification Day and May Day holidays.

No. 14 (in Tân Phú District) and No. 16 (District 7) hospitals will be temporarily closed, leaving only No. 13 (Bình Chánh District) in operation.

Also to be closed are mobile medical stations.

Personnel at ward- and commune-level medical stations will assist high-risk COVID patients at home using digital technologies.

Hospitals around the city will set up a department or ward for COVID patients with underlying medical conditions.

While temporarily closed field hospitals will now be shut down for good, districts have to be prepared to reopen them if the COVID caseload rises again.

As of May 4 all wards and communes in the city are designated low COVID risk, except for four that are at medium risk.

There are fewer than 5,000 under treatment, mostly at home, and there have not been any COVID deaths in the past three weeks.

To combat the fourth outbreak last year, the city set up 32 field hospitals and 64 regular hospitals began to admit COVID patients.

The city has been gradually closing down field hospitals (especially at facilities such as schools and dormitories) and allowing specialty hospitals to stop admitting COVID patients.