Hanoi makes plan to supply medical oxygen for 40,000 Covid-19 patients

The Hanoi People's Committee has worked out a plan to ensure the availability of medical oxygen if the Covid-19 caseload surges to 40,000 in the capital city.

Accordingly, the plan aims to ensure medical oxygen for hospitals and health centers in the city under the Hanoi Department of Health and use resources reasonably, safely, and effectively in treating Covid-19 patients in the city.

To implement the option, it is necessary to involve the entire political system, relevant departments, agencies, and units to prepare the conditions of medical oxygen reserve and update the capacity of suppliers.

Doctors in Thanh Nhan General Hospital in Hanoi are tasked to treat severe and critical Covid-19 patients. Photo: VNA

The plan contemplates three scenarios. In the first scenario, the Covid-19 caseload would be 10,000. In the second one, 20,000 patients would need treatment, and the one-third is set out in response to 40,000 coronavirus infections in the city.

The patients are classified in line with the severity of the disease that is based on the Ministry of Health's guidance. The plan envisages an 83.6% of the patients would be asymptomatic and mild, the number of moderate patients would be 7%. The caseload of severe patients who would need oxygen would make up 3.8% and the very severe patients needing invasive and non-invasive ventilation would account for around 3.6%. Around 2% of the patients would be critical and need extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) intervention (2%).

Therefore, there will be 3,120 patients requiring medical oxygen (9.4%) if the number of coronavirus infections is up to 40,000.

The treatment facilities will be divided in accordance with the disease severity. There will be establishments that care for moderate patients, severe and critical patients requiring intensive care treatment as well as those that treat mild and asymptomatic Covid-19 cases.

Earlier, on August 8, the Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee, Chu Ngoc Anh, has signed a plan to prepare 8,000 hospital beds for Covid-19 patients at mild, moderate, and critical conditions, preparing the city for a scenario of 40,000 infections.

Mayor Ngoc Anh, who is also head of the Hanoi Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control, asked for the engagement of all relevant agencies in implementing the plan.

It will be also conducted in three phases, with 2,000, 4,000, and 8,000 prepared in response to scenarios in which the number of Covid-19 patients hit 10,000, 20,000, and 40,000, respectively.