Over 16,000 experts, medical workers sent to southern region: Health Minister

ABO/NDO – More than 16,000 experts and medical workers have been deployed by the Ministry of Health to Ho Chi Minh City and southern provinces to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Minister Nguyen Thanh Long.

Medical staff of K Hospital in Hanoi before leaving to support southern provinces in fighting the COVID-19 epidemic. (Photo: NDO/Minh Hoang).

At an online meeting on August 29 of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control with 1,060 communes, wards and towns in 20 provinces and cities now under social distance measures, under the chair of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Minister Long also announced that the ministry has mobilised a large volume of equipment, ventilators, and medical supplies to send to these localities.

The ministry has established and operated effectively 11 resuscitation centres for patients in critical conditions in the southern region, with six in Ho Chi Minh City, contributing to reducing the mortality rate.

Regarding vaccination against COVID-19, as of August 26, 19 southern localities had been allocated with more than 12.3 million doses, of which about 10.5 million doses had been administered, including more than 9.9 million first jabs, Long stated.

Ho Chi Minh City alone had vaccinated more than 5.78 million doses (81.6%), including nearly 5.6 million first injections.

As of August 28, Vietnam had administered more than 19.2 million doses of vaccines against COVID-19.

(Source: NDO)