Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - The Ministry of Health held an online trainingconference on September 13 on a project to enhance the supply and use ofmedical oxygen for facilities treating COVID-19 patients.

The conferencesaw participation from more than 1,000 locations in 63 provinces andcities. 

The conferenceaims to prepare, respond proactively, promptly and effectively in terms ofmedical oxygen for emergencies and for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

Speaking atthe conference, Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan emphasised thatinvesting in the medical oxygen supply system would be an investment for thelong term. 

"Theinvestment, expansion of production scale, supply network and technical infrastructureof medical oxygen at medical examination and treatment facilities is not onlyfor the COVID-19 pandemic but also for the future," he said.

In somesouthern provinces and cities, the number of new cases of COVID-19 along withthe current number of cases and the need for medical treatment for otherdiseases has resulted in an increasing demand for medical oxygen. Thepercentage of COVID-19 patients who have the need for oxygen ranging from mildlevels such as oxygen masks, oxygen therapy glasses and high flow oxygento severe levels such as non-invasive and invasive ventilation, ECMO,accounting for about 9.5 percent of the total cases.

According toNguyen Minh Tuan, Director of the Department of Medical Equipment andConstruction under the Ministry of Health, in Vietnam, the supply capacityof oxygen across the country is about 1,200 tonnes of liquid oxygen perday and can be increased by 50 percent to 100 percent as needed. 

Regarding thestatus of medical oxygen technical infrastructure in medical facilities, itbasically meets routine medical care, but there are still some limitations whenthe number of COVID-19 patients increases. 

In fact, manymedical facilities at the district level do not have a central oxygen system;lack oxygen containers (such as bottles, flasks, tanks); and do not back up thenumber of containers when they have to be rotated, or used for support for hometreatment and emergency transportation. Establishments in remote areasoften have difficulty accessing oxygen supplies, while the ability tocoordinate and mobilise oxygen has not been prompt in intensive situationslike natural disasters (storms, floods, power outages, etc.) or the pandemic. 

To increasethe production, supply and ensure medical oxygen for the treatment of COVID-19patients, on September 7, 2021, the Minister of Health issued Decision No.4308/QD-BYT on strengthening the capacity to supply medical oxygen forfacilities treating COVID-19 patients. The main objective of the project is toguide localities to proactively develop plans and organise a close connectionbetween supply and demand in order to exploit resources for producing medicaloxygen in the country; prepare medical oxygen infrastructure to treat COVID-19patients according to different pandemic scenarios.

DeputyMinister Tran Van Thuan pointed out four groups of solutions that provinces andcities need to conduct urgently.

First, reviewingand evaluating the current status of medical oxygen technical infrastructure atmedical facilities at all levels and developing a plan, based on theguidance of the Ministry of Health on medical oxygen demand at all levels, toimprove the technical infrastructure of medical oxygen systems at facilitiestreating COVID-19 patients.

Secondly,localities should assess the ability to produce oxygen, the network of oxygensuppliers, to plan and expand the scale of oxygen production and supply toensure that demand can be met.

Thirdly,provinces and cities should implement effective connection and coordinationamong stakeholders: producers, suppliers, transporters and users of oxygen toensure that emergency needs are met without interruption in various situations. 

The deputyminister requested that localities assign a vice chairman of the people'scommittees to be the head of the department, the leader of the Department ofHealth acting as deputy permanent member of the unit in charge of medicaloxygen coordination. Localities should also strengthen IT application in themanagement and coordination of medical oxygen, and at the same time properlycontrol the price of medical oxygen in the locality to ensure that the price isnot a barrier when the demand for oxygen increases.

Localities areasked to continue to implement the motto "four on thespot", proactively prepare, be ready and promptly respond to medicaloxygen needs in emergencies and COVID-19 treatment: planning theprocurement of medical oxygen containers and other necessary supplies andequipment; simultaneously, continuously expanding training for doctors, nurses,medical staff at all levels on medical oxygen therapies in treatment suitableto all levels./.