Hanoi (VNA) - Expanding COVID-19 testing is one of four key measures thatplayed a decisive role in treating the disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2in Vietnam, said a top health official.

AssociateProfessor Luong Ngoc Khue, Director of the Medical Examination and TreatmentAdministration under the Health Ministry, said at a meeting last week thatuntil now, there are more than 50 hospitals and institutes across thecountry eligible for conducting COVID-19 tests.

Whenthe pandemic was first reported in the country, only three units were allowed tooffer the tests.

Withthe expansion of the testing network, hospitals were more active in testing,thus helped save time for patients and reduced the burden onthe preventive medicine sector in testing at-risk people.

Atthe meeting on reviewing COVID-19 treatment and mapping out new tasks, Khue,who is also Deputy Head of the Treatment Subcommittee under the NationalSteering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, pointed out drasticmeasures that contributed to their achievements in COVID-19 treatment.

First,Khue mentioned a reasonable patient allocation based on their healthconditions. Accordingly, critically-ill patients are treated at centralhospitals while healthcare centres and hospitals at lower levels –communes, districts and provinces – would deal with other patients.

Secondly,Vietnam has been regularly updating diagnostic and treatment guidelines asrecommended by the World Health Organisation or treatment experience ofcountries around the world.

Thecountry has issued four protocols on COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment. Italso considered and implemented different treatment methods including the useof antiviral and anti-malarial drugs, as well as convalescent plasmatherapy. Specific healthcare guidelines were developed, for example, those forpeople with chronic diseases, people with disabilities and 37 criteria for safehospitals amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Anothereffective measure is the establishment of the centre for management andadministration to support professional diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19patients, Khue said.

Thecentre regularly organises online conferences and invites leadingprofessors across the country to consult on serious cases, discuss optimaltreatment methods for patients and share treatment and care experience.

Moreover,hundreds of mobile teams to provide direct support to local-level hospitalsthat provide treatment for COVID-19 patients were also established nationwide.

Thehealth official also applauded the effective coordination between the system ofhealth facilities across the country in implementing various COVID-19prevention and control solutions, as well as the active nature and willingnessof medical staff in their treatment of COVID-19 patients.

AssociateProfessor, Dr. Nguyen Truong Son, Deputy Minister of Health and Head of theTreatment Subcommittee, praised the sub-committee in deploying appropriatesolutions with access to advanced experience from across the world whilefocusing their highest efforts on treating their patients.

“Suchactive participation has helped bring about success in the COVID-19 treatmentregimen in Vietnam, as shown by impressive indicators such as up to 96.4percent of COVID-19 patients in the country having recovered, includingseverely ill patients with co-morbidities, while minimising the death rate andlimiting the rate of cross-infection in medical examination and treatmentestablishments,” he said.

Asthe pandemic was still developing around the world, while commercialflights have been reopened, experts also warned of the risk of COVID-19’sresurgence in Vietnam.

Hospitalsand the system of medical examination and treatment facilities are suggested toclearly define risk and maintain vigilance, while continuing to thoroughlyapply and improve prevention and control activities toward an immediate responseto any further outbreaks./.