Ho Chi Minh City Health Department has asked local hospitals to stand ready to receive COVID-19 patients in necessary circumstances, amid the rising number of infections.
HCM City has asked local hospitals to stand ready to receive COVID-19 patients (Photo: VNA)
HCM City(VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City Health Department has asked local hospitals to standready to receive COVID-19 patients in necessary circumstances, amid the risingnumber of infections.
Along with preparingan 1,800-bed hospital for COVID-19 patients, other hospitals should be ready toresume its COVID-19 treatment units, the department underlined at a meeting on COVID-19 fight in the city on April 25.
According to BuiNguyen Thanh Long, deputy head of the Medical Profession Office under thedepartment, the number of hospitalised COVID-19 patients in the cityhas risen since April 12.
COVID-19 vaccination (Photo: VNA)
As of April 23, thecity had seen 1,288 cases undertaking home quarantine, up 1,136 cases over theprevious week. Currently, 200 patients are receiving treatment in localhospital, with five requiring respiratory support. The majority of the patientsare over 50 years old.
The city has 46medical establishments providing COVID-19 treatment with a total of 2,255 beds,including 338 ICU beds. Alongside, a COVID-19 hospital with 1,800 beds has alsobeen ready for operation if severe cases at the city Hospital for TropicalDiseases exceed 50.
Vice Director of themunicipal Health Department Dr. Nguyen Van Vinh Chau said that so far, the cityhas been ready for the re-outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.
The department hasprovided a list of 10 COVID-19 experts to local hospital in case they needprofessional support.
Meanwhile, thedepartment will maintain the operation of 59 COVID-19 vaccination stations foradults during the upcoming National Reunification Day (April 30) and May Day(May 1) holidays./.
Following an upward trend in the previous days, Vietnam recorded 2,159 new COVID-19 cases on April 19, a record high in the past six months, the Ministry of Health announced.
A total of 67 million children around the world, including nearly 250,000 in Vietnam, missed out on vaccinations between 2019 and 2021, with vaccination coverage levels decreasing in 112 countries, UNICEF warned on April 20 in a new report on immunisation.
Amidst the rapidly increasing number of new cases of COVID-19, the Health Ministry has urged continued efforts to accelerate vaccination against COVID-19, with priority given to groups of high risks of developing serious symptoms and even dying when contracting the virus.
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.
HCM City has asked local hospitals to stand ready to receive COVID-19 patients (Photo: VNA) 
COVID-19 vaccination (Photo: VNA) 
