Hanoi sends medical workers to support HCM City in COVID-19 fight
A delegation of the Ministry of Health led by Minister Nguyen Thanh Long arrived in Ho Chi Minh City on August 15 afternoon to work with the city's authorities in COVID-19 prevention and control.
Health worker of the National Hospital of Ophthalmology pose for a group photo before travelling to HCM City to help the city battle COVID-19 (Photo: vnexpress.net)
HCM City (VNA) - A delegation of the Ministry of Health led by Minister Nguyen Thanh Long arrived in Ho Chi Minh City on August 15 afternoon to work with the city's authorities in COVID-19 prevention and control.
More than 110 health workers of two Hanoi-based medical establishments travelled to the southern hub on the same flight to support two intensive care units which are responsible for treating severe patients.
The National Hospital of Ophthalmology sent 51 health workers, including 15 doctors, nurses and technicians. All of them have received training on treatment of COVID-19 before departure.
Meanwhile, the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion dispatched 60 medics to help HCM City and southern provinces take care of COVID-19 patients who are in critical conditions. It is planning to send a total of 175 medical workers, including 50 doctors, to the southern localities.
Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said that thousands of medical workers nationwide have travelled to HCM City and other southern localities, which are the current largest COVID-19 hotspots of the country, to provide timely treatment for patients.
He spoke highly of their efforts and contributions amid complicated developments of the pandemic./.
The Vietnam Red Cross Society (VRC)’s Central Committee has launched a campaign to assist disadvantaged people who are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and frontline forces in the fight against the COVID-19.
Military-run telecom group Viettel announced on August 11 that medical establishments nationwide have carried out 120 consultation session for more than 1,800 severe COVID-19 cases, promptly handling and treating the patients.
Many retired healthcare professionals have volunteered to join hospital staff in the fight against COVID-19. With an “all hands on deck” approach, they are working around the clock to save patients in intensive care units (ICU) and at field hospitals.
In recent days, many checkpoints have been set up to protect COVID-free areas known as "green zones" to prevent the spread of the virus in the capital city of Hanoi.
Vietnam now boasts a nationwide healthcare network with 1,665 hospitals, 384 of which are non-public, supported by local commune- and ward-level stations. At the end of 2024, hospital bed capacity reached 34 per 10,000 people, slightly above the global average.
The 56-year-old patient from Quang Tri province was discharged in stable condition as he no longer experienced shortness of breath and was able to walk, move around, and eat normally.
Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Vu Trung, Director of the Pasteur Institute, said that under the MoU, the two sides committed to promoting diverse and practical collaborative activities, including joint conferences and workshops, exchanges of scholars, researchers and students, sharing academic materials, and the development of specific programmes and projects in scientific research, training, and epidemic prevention.
TytoCare, a leading Israeli telemedicine company based in Netanya, is willing to work with Vietnamese regulators, insurers, and healthcare providers to develop a sustainable digital health ecosystem.
The partnership is under the framework of a Memorandum of Understanding on the development and implementation of the National Action Plan on Breast Cancer and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control, signed in Hanoi on July 22.
An estimated 7 million Vietnamese are currently living with diabetes, but about 50% remain undiagnosed, a dangerous gap that is fuelling serious, preventable complications and increasing the burden on the healthcare system.
In 2024, Vietnam achieved 99% coverage for the first dose of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine, up from 80% in 2023. Immunisation coverage in the country has not only rebounded to the high levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic but has now surpassed the rates recorded in 2019.
Health authorities in HCM City have issued an urgent alert after six people died from dengue fever, amid a spike in infections driven by the onset of the rainy season.
During the peak months of July and August 2025, the National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT) needs at least 90,000 units of blood to supply 180 hospitals in the northern region. However, despite continuous efforts, the reserve blood is still short of 30,000 units.
The Hanoi ceremony highlighted efforts to ensure all citizens, especially women and youth, can access accurate information and healthcare services to make informed reproductive choices.
After such a long time, the law has revealed many limitations, prompting the Ministry of Health (MoH) to gather opinions to amend the law to give more chances to thousands of patients every year.
Currently, cardiovascular specialists from the 108 Military Central Hospital are working alongside a team of Prof.Dr. Jan D. Schmitto, Deputy Director of MHH’s Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery on clinical trials for MCS devices, implanted in heart failure patients either as a bridge to transplantation or as permanent treatment.
The centre not only serves residents living on the island, but also receives tens of thousands of visitors every year, according to Assoc Prof Dr Tang Chi Thuong, Director of the HCM CIty Department of Health.
Not only does Vietnam attract international tourists with its landscapes, culture, and cuisine, but it is also gradually becoming a reliable destination for medical treatment, offering high-quality services at reasonable costs.
Over the past six months, 150 communal health stations in provinces including Ha Giang, Bac Kan, Lang Son, Lao Cai, Lai Chau, Yen Bai, Tay Ninh, Hau Giang, Ben Tre and Ca Mau have been equipped with information technology systems. In addition, 117 key provincial healthcare workers have received training, with thousands more expected to follow.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Ministry of Health swiftly launched a telemedicine programme, connecting more than 1,000 medical establishments nationwide. The model, which remains in operation, has benefited tens of thousands of patients, including foreign nationals.
After more than three weeks of intensive treatment, the patient's pneumonia improved, breathing stabilised, sedation was reduced, and the breathing tube was removed. He is now conscious, able to eat orally, and in recovery.
Health worker of the National Hospital of Ophthalmology pose for a group photo before travelling to HCM City to help the city battle COVID-19 (Photo: vnexpress.net) 
