HCM City (VNA) - TheDepartment of Health in Ho Chi Minh City has instructed all hospitals in thecity not to refuse emergency aid to patients during the Tet (Lunar New Year)period.

The department has told doctors and otherhealth staff to prepare medicine, materials and equipment to deal with anyoutbreak during the holiday.

Hospitals at the grassroots level, which donot have capacity to treat severely ill patients, should provide first aid andthen transfer patients to appropriate hospitals.

Medical facilities have also been told toprepare for cases of acute pneumonia or stroke among seniors and respiratoryailments and disease among children.

City officials and all medical staff shouldprovide thoughtful care to their inpatients during the Tet holiday, thedepartment urged.

Tang Chi Thuong, the department’s deputyhead, said the city’s Emergency Aid Centre and its 22 satellite stationsthroughout the city as well as outlying districts were prepared for Tet.

Hospitals such as the Paediatrics Hospital1 and 2, Oncology Hospital and others have opened satellite health clinics atmany other hospitals in the city to reduce patient overcrowding.

In response to the requirement, Dr NguyenThanh Hung, director of Paediatrics Hospital 1, said that a sufficient numberof doctors and other health staff were ready for emergency aid before, duringand after the holiday period.

At least 200 doctors, nurses and otherhealth staff will be working each shift at the hospital, Hung told Vietnam NewsAgency.

The Paediatrics Hospital 1 admits 1,000inpatients and 700 to 1,000 outpatients every day.

Dr Nguyen Truong Son, director of Cho Ray Hospital,said the hospital has completed preparations for the holiday and made a plan todeal with patient overcrowding.

Every hospital department has drawn upplans for “red alert” emergency aid and “gold intervention”, which calls forurgent surgery. It has also ensured that emergency surgery can be performedwithin a proper amount of time.

The hospital’s Blood Transfusion Centre hasstored 7,000 units of blood for emergency treatment and will provide blood toother hospitals in the southeastern region.

The HCM City Hospital of Hematology andBlood Transfusion has stored 12,000 units of blood for use at all cityhospitals during Tet.

Tran Thi To Nhu, head of the city’sHumanitarian Blood Donation Centre, said the centre has a sufficient amount ofblood stored for the holiday, and there will be no shortages of rare types ofblood.

Huynh Van Hieu, head of the HCM City RedJourney Club, which encourages blood donations, said that its 50 members andvolunteers would be available to donate blood during the holiday, if needed. -VNA