(BGO) - The number of Covid-19 infections (F0s) is increasing rapidly in the community. Right now, along with strengthening the management and treatment of patients at grassroots-level medical stations, localities in Bac Giang province have opened more online consultation channels via social networks (Zalo, Facebook) to promptly receive information and support F0s in health care.
Answering many questions
"I'm an N.V.H in the residential area of My Dien 1, Nenh township. I just got positive Covid-19 test result this morning. Now I have chest tightness and a fever of 39 degrees, please give me a prescription, doctor", "Everybody advised me, when contracting Covid-19, not to shower and drink hot water often to kill the virus, right?"... Those are just two among dozens of text messages and phone calls to doctor Ha Minh Tien, working at the Pediatrics Department under the Medical Center of Viet Yen district.
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A doctor of the Viet Yen district Health Center provides online consultations for a Covid-19 patient. |
In the past few days, both phones of Dr. Ha Minh Tien have been working continuously. Knowing that the patients were in urgent need, Dr. Tien quickly answered and gave instructions to them.
To overcome the overcrowding situation, the district Young Physicians Club has advised the provincial Young Doctors Association to increase support from the medical staff working at the provincial General Hospital and provincial-level specialized hospitals. The provision of home consultancy and treatment for F0s in Viet Yen district also received help from many Bac Giang colleagues who are working at a number of medical establishments outside the province such as Hai Phong Medical University, Bach Mai Hospital, Vietnam – Germany Hospital.
Doctor Do Van Lap, Chairman of the district Young Doctors Club, said: "With the hope that all infection cases can access consultations and support, the phone numbers of 26 member doctors and nurses are always active".
Strengthening human resources
The effectiveness of consultancy and treatment has been clearly seen, but in reality this work also faces difficulties. Currently, each medical station has 5-7 employees. When there is a large number of F0s in the community, the care, counseling and treatment of F0s at home is overloaded.
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The community Covid-19 group of the residential area No. 1 in Bich Dong township (Viet Yen) checks the health of a F0 treated at home. |
Although the districts and city all have Zalo and Facebook groups to support patients, many members participate in texting so it is difficult to find information about the prescriptions sent by doctors. In addition, doctors at upper-level hospitals both perform their professional work and provide consultancy, so some times F0s cannot approach medical staff in time.
In order to create conditions for patients who need counseling and treatment support, the provincial General Hospital has added more personnel to the teams offering advice and treatment to F0s at home. Now the hospital has two advisory teams with 14 specialists involved in online support. It has assigned each doctor with a specific phone number to be responsible for providing free consultations around the clock, from Monday to Sunday.
The Bac Giang Women’s and Children's Hospital has a support group to take care of children infected with Covid-19, especially newborn babies. The two districts of Viet Yen and Hiep Hoa have also set up new Zalo and Facebook groups to provide timely information to patients.
Tu Quoc Hieu, Director of the provincial Department of Health, said that in order to prevent overcrowding situations when seriously ill patients have to be hospitalized for treatment, the department has directed expanding the scale of receiving and treating patients at a number of key facilities such as the Fuji Social Housing Area, the provincial Center for National Defense and Security Education, and the Department of Infectious Diseases (the provincial General Hospital).
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The additional list of consultation group for Covid-19 treatment. |
At the same time, the department balances human resources between districts and provincial-level specialized hospitals to add to the medical centres of industrial parks, Viet Yen and Hiep Hoa districts to help with the care and treatment of F0s in a timely manner.
