PetroVietnam donates 200 ventilators to support southern localities
The Ministry of Health on August 20 received 200 high-flow ventilators donated by the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) to support southern localities in treating COVID-19 patients.
Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long (L) receives 200 high-flow ventilators donated by the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) (Photo: moh.gov.vn)
Hanoi (VNA) - The Ministry of Health on August 20 received 200 high-flow ventilators donated by the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) to support southern localities in treating COVID-19 patients.
According to Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long, all the ventilators will be transported to Ho Chi Minh City and other southern provinces on the same day.
Long underlined the significance of the timely donation from PetroVietnam, especially in the context that the country is meeting difficulties in purchasing ventilators.
With the number of COVID-19 cases increasing rapidly, Ho Chi Minh City and southern provinces are exerting every effort to treat COVID-19 patients, he said.
The Ministry of Health has mobilised more than 13,000 health workers as well as medical equipment serving treatment to support southern localities in their COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control, he said.
Mobile medical stations were established in HCM City and some southern provinces with tasks of providing primary health care and medical examination services for local people, giving first aid to patients of other diseases, and caring for and treating COVID-19 patients, he said.
The ministry has also coordinated with relevant ministries and sectors to buy more ventilators but also faced difficulties because of complicated developments in the world, he added.
The ministry set up a temporary warehouse in HCM City to gather supplies and medical equipment. Since the fourth wave of COVID-19 infections broke out in late April, it has distributed 4,975 ventilators, 191 RT-PCR testing machines, 93 extraction machines, 10 ECMO machines, 50 dialysis machines and millions of test bioproducts to HCM City and other southern provinces to serve the treatment of COVID-19 patients./.
The Government has supplemented 5.1 trillion VND (221.6 million USD) from the State budget reserve for 2021 for the Health Ministry's budget spending estimate to purchase medical equipment and supplies, biological products, chemicals and drugs for COVID-19 prevention and control, according to a decision signed by Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai on August 1.
Vietnam Prosperity Joint Stock Commmercial Bank (VPBank) handed over more than 1,000 ventilators to 19 cities and provinces in the southern region as the fourth wave of COVID-19 infections has caused a severe shortage.
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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.
Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long (L) receives 200 high-flow ventilators donated by the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) (Photo: moh.gov.vn) 
