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In the context of increasingly complicated developments of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Vietnam and around the world, FV Hospital is fully prepared, ready to stand side by side with the Government, the Ministry of Health and the entire country in the fight against the SARS-COV-2 pandemic.
Dr. Jean-Marcel Guillon – Chief Executive Officer of FV Hospital said: “SARS-CoV-2 is a new contagious infectious disease, that we must deal with. Fortunately, FV Hospital has been accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI) in 2016 and re-accredited in 2019. One of the JCI standards is to develop and implement an emergency preparedness programme to respond to a global communicable disease. Such a programme includes screening, diagnosis, management of infected patients as well as all related infection control processes. These procedures have been adapted to this new epidemic, doctors and nurses underwent training under the supervision of the Covid-19 Steering Committee and of the Infection Control and Quality Management Department, all required protective personal equipment of the highest quality are available, a specific 20-bedroom Covid-19 unit has been set up in case the Ministry of Health and the Government require the help of selected private hospitals, and a systematic review of publications in medical journals, the WHO website, and other sources of information including all guidelines and decisions issued by the Vietnamese authorities is done on a daily basis.
On March 13th, a MoH delegation, led by Associate Professor Dr Luong Ngoc Khue – Head of the Medical Administration Department, visited FV Hospital to assess the screening and isolation procedures in place and the capability of the hospital to receive patients. All procedures have been approved and Dr Khue also commanded the close coordination of FV Hospital with the designated public healthcare facilities in charge of the fight against Covid-19.
The newly established Covid-19 Steering Committee is composed of the Chief Executive Officer, Medical Director and Deputy Medical Director, Chief Operations Officer, Head of Infection Control Department, Nursing Director, Legal Director, Chief Financial Officer and Marketing and Communication Director. The committee’s responsibilities include infection control, safety for healthcare professionals and patients, internal communication, training, decisions related to the epidemic, and compliance with relevant regulations. The committee works with the Ministry of Health, the Department of Health, the Centres for Disease Control and the designated public facilities who receive patients positive for the virus.
The screening procedure is performed for all patients and visitors upon arrival at FV Hospital. Any person who either present recent (less than 14 days) respiratory symptoms with or without fever, and/or travelled recently in a country with large outbreak, and/or could have been in contact with infected patients is further screened, decision is then made if this person must be tested for the virus. The test is performed in a specific area then patients are sent to the Covid-19 hospitalisation unit while waiting for the test result. Patients with positive results will be referred to designated hospitals, specifically Cho Ray or the Tropical Diseases Hospital for treatment.
Dr Do Trong Khanh, Medical Director, said: “FV Hospital is ready to help Vietnam in the fight against SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and even to receive Covid-19-positive patients if required to do by the Ministry of Health. A dedicated Covid-19 unit has been created with negative-pressure isolation rooms, part of this unit can be adapted as a dedicated Intensive Care Unit. FV has also a specific operating room to be ready to receive emergency surgery or emergency deliveries for suspected or infected patients that require immediate treatment. FV has prepared sufficient protective equipment for both medical staff and patients”.
On March 19, Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health announced FV as being one of 14 hospitals eligible for medical examination and treatment of acute respiratory infections caused by SARS-CoV-2 for foreigners. Additionally, to reduce the burden on public healthcare hospitals for the Covid-19 testing, encouraged by the Ministry of Health, FV Hospital has completed and submitted to the MoH its application for Covid-19 testing. FV Hospital will also test its entire staff and regularly re-test healthcare workers directly taking care of Covid-19 patients.
The whole screening and isolation procedure is regularly audited and also recorded using the CCTV both at FV Hospital and at FV Saigon Clinic. On March 21st, two patients at the clinic and one at the hospital were tested positive and transferred to the Tropical Diseases Hospital (all positive patients must currently be transferred). The whole process was again reviewed and no problem was detected.
Dr Jean-Marcel Guillon emphasized, “FV is a hospital, a hospital is to treat patients, our responsibility is to receive and treat all patients, regardless of the disease type, nationality or language. Simultaneously, we are committed to ensure that we provide the highest safety level to all, patients, family members, visitors, and all healthcare professionals. We are here for you – our patients – in these difficult time”.
On 13th March, FV Hospital has committed to donate 1 billion VND to the Covid-19 fund to support the Ministry of Health in the fight against the epidemic.
