Hoan My Thu Duc International General Hospital is the first private hospital to have temporarily been turned into a COVID-19 treatment facility in HCM city. (Photo courtesy of the hospital)

Early this month Hoan My Thu Duc International General Hospital in Thu Duc city began treating COVID-19 patients, some of them in critical condition.

Director Nguyen Tuan says the hospital, part of Hoan My Medical Corporation, turned itself into a temporary COVID-19 treatment facility within one week to share the burden of the city’s public hospitals.

100 beds are now reserved for coronavirus patients and the number can double if necessary.

COVID-19 patients under treatment at Hoan My Thu Duc  Hospital. (Photo courtesy of the hospital)

The medical staff treating COVID-19 patients at the hospital include volunteers drawn from the 3,000 doctors and nurses working at the Hoan My system.

Dr. Tuan says the volunteers have been well trained to ensure their own safety.

“We’ve purchased additional medical equipment to treat COVID-19, including a liquid oxygen tank, which was installed in a week,” said Tuan.

FV reserves 74 beds for COVID-19 patients.(Photo: fvhospital.com)

FV Hospital in district 7 has applied a “split” model to treat patients with or without COVID-19.

According to Pham Thi Thanh Mai, FV Hospital’s Chief Operating Officer, 74 beds are being used for COVID-19 patients and the capacity can expand if needed.

Meanwhile, Xuyen A General Hospital in Cu Chi district has a separate 200-bed facility for COVID-19 patients, says Dr. Nguyen Van Chau, the hospital’s Director.

“With the State going all out in the COVID-19 fight, we should do all we can to help. Xuyen A has abundant equipment, human,and financial resources, so we can set up a field hospital without any support from the State,” said Chau.

Nam Sai Gon General Hospital in Binh Chanh has experienced serious difficulties during the latest epidemic wave.

As soon as it resumes operation after a temporary shutdown due to COVID-19 infections, the hospital has rejoined the city’sfight against the pandemic.

Dang Van Thanh, Director of the 109-bed hospital, says its doctors and nurses are all set.

“The more patients we can treat, the more we can reduce the municipal health sector’s overload and help the community. This is more about burden sharing than making a profit. Most private hospitals have to absorb operating costs during this period,” Mr. Thanh said.

Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long has praised the willingness of private hospitals to treat COVID-19 patients to help HCM city weather the current crisis.

The city is currently Vietnam’s largest COVID-19 hotspot with nearly 150,000 infections recorded so far.