In particular, the new strategy developed to improve vaccination coverage in the southern largest city is one of the key and important strategies in the fight against coronavirus pandemic, helping to protect people and reduce the risk of disease or disease development.

The city will implement this strategy by giving a vaccine to returnees to the city from other localities. Under the strategy, the health sector will send medical workers to every alley and house to give a vaccine to all dwellers, especially those in high-risk groups.

Moreover, the sector will build big data on Covid vaccination as well as increase communication to mobilize people to get the Covid-19 vaccine. Finally, the sector will expand vaccine coverage for children up to three years old and deploy booster shots.

In addition, during the implementation of the Government’s Resolution 128 to achieve dual goals of fighting Covid-19 and restoring and developing the economy and society while ensuring security, social order and safety, Ho Chi Minh City has developed a strategy to control the Covid-19 epidemic in the new normal period by carrying out testing in the new situation.

The city will also focus on improving the capacity of epidemic surveillance and warning and controlling outbreaks to curb the spread and monitoring the emergence of new strains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

According to the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, more than 90 percent of city dwellers have got two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine. Additionally, most of the people infected with the disease have no symptoms or mild symptoms. They received home care helping to reduce patient overload in large hospitals.

Regarding the home care and management strategy, the city will proactively detect and update the list of Covid-19 patients and people in high-risk groups in each district.

According to the strategy, each Covid-19 infected people receiving home care will have an electronic medical record and the city will mobilize all resources to participate in the management and care of them.

In respect of treatment for serious Covid-19 patients in infirmaries, all patients will be admitted to hospitals for treatment. Medical workers will use scientific advances to treat patients.

In addition, the People's Committee in Ho Chi Minh City also clearly stipulated a communication strategy to raise city inhabitants’ awareness to change the behavior of people and the community in epidemic prevention and control.

Last but not least, city administrations will increase the capacity of the city Center for Disease Control and grass-root medical centers as well as mobilize the participation of private infirmaries.
The People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City requested the Department of Health to continuously monitor and monitor epidemic indicators in the city for prompt warning of the increased risk of epidemics.

The Department must also direct health institutions throughout the city to carry out disease surveillance, prevention, and control according to each epidemic situation and according to the Ministry of Health’s updated guidance.

In addition, the city health authority will improve the treatment capacity of the hospital system, including private hospitals, to proactively respond to epidemic situations, hospitals must both provide medical examination and treatment for patients with normal diseases and people with Covid-19.

The city will prepare enough medical workers, especially human resources in intensive care, infectious diseases, testing and infection control.

Furthermore, it will develop training and retraining plans to strengthen the quality and capacity of nurses, doctors, and technicians in critical care in respiratory resuscitation and treatment of severe cases in emergency resuscitation for hospitals in district hospitals and Thu Duc city.

People's committees of districts and Thu Duc city will closely monitor and detect disease cases in wards, communes, and households for timely discovery of new cases.

Functional forces will investigate people in the area who have not been vaccinated yet. They will coordinate with the health sector to manage information on vaccination against Covid-19 of local people.

A plan to set up a mobile medical station and a Covid-19 patient care team in the community will be developed. Plus, all health stations ought to have medical oxygen and promptly give first aid to people with Covid-19 who are isolated at home, and at the same time promote the Covid-19 rapid response teams in the localities.

The districts and Thu Duc city that do not have a field hospital must have a plan to establish a hospital. District administrations must have a plan to relocate field hospitals that are using schools to other shelters while prioritizing the use of public land to establish a field hospital for long-term use.

Source: SGGP