(VOVWORLD) - A doctor and two nurses at Bach Mai hospital in Hanoi have tested positive for novel coronavirus. According to health care leaders, these cases may not be the last, because many patients are being treated at the hospital and the risk of cross-contamination is high. The health sector is working on ways to control the situation.
After several of doctors and nurses tested positive for Covid-19, Bach Mai hospital isolated nearly 500 doctors, patients, and caregivers at the Center for Tropical Diseases, the C4 Department of the Cardiovascular Institute, and the Neurological Surgery Department. The hospital asked patients and their caregivers to remain quarantined and tested them all for Covid-19.
Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son said emergency disease prevention measures have been implemented over the past few days: “We have assigned an epidemiology team to conduct an investigation into disease transmission within the hospital in order to isolate infected individuals, trace their recent contacts, and organize a quarantine as soon as possible at home or in the hospital.”
The entire hospital was disinfected last Saturday. Strict disease prevention measures are also in place at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases, said Doctor Do Minh Tan, Deputy Head of the hospital’s Infection Control Department.
He said: “We have made every effort to prevent cross-transmission between patients, doctors, and medical staff.”
There are many reasons for cross-contamination within a hospital. Patients in critical condition or extremely weak are at high risk of infection. If doctors and medical staff contract the virus, the health care system will be deprived of desperately needed personnel. Luong Ngoc Khue, Director of the Department of Medical Treatment Management of the Ministry of Health, urged strict compliance with medical instructions and infection control regulations to prevent cross-contamination.
“We have asked the Department of Health, relevant agencies, and directors of hospitals to regularly check the enforcement of health care regulations and deal strictly with violators by revoking licenses or shutting medical clinics," said Mr. Khue.
Hospitals are asked to check all new patients by taking a body temperature reading, collecting test swabs, and demanding a medical declaration. Other measures include prompt quarantines and maintaining adequate supplies of protective gear and medical equipment. Every person should understand their responsibility to protect themselves and the community.