Vietnam Young Physicians Association plans to mobilize around 2,500 medical workers from all over the country by Wednesday to join a network supporting Covid-19 patients and their close contacts who are either self-isolated or unable to visit medical facilities.

Doctor Bui Thanh Phuc (R) from the Viet Duc University Hospital in a phone call with a Covid-19 patient in HCMC, July 26, 2021.

The network would provide Covid-19 screening, risk assessment and counseling for coronavirus cases and close contacts so doctors could give out appropriate advice and recommendations to each individual, said Le Tuan Thanh, who manages the network.

Coronavirus cases and their close contacts who have yet to attend medical facilities for proper diagnoses are among the most vulnerable as they are not aware of their exact conditions or when they should be wheeled to a hospital for treatment. As their health deteriorates and they grow unable to make contact with medical authorities, anxiety and even paranoia could set in, said Thanh.

By offering help to said cases, the burden on the healthcare system could be relieved, he added.

By Monday afternoon, the network had garnered around 1,450 volunteers for the project. They include doctors, nurses, pharmacists and psychiatrists working in localities that have yet to be severely impacted by Covid-19.

How it works

Local Centers for Disease Control (CDCs) and Covid-19 hotlines would feed all information about coronavirus cases and their close contacts to a common database, which would then be shared among network doctors while maintaining patient anonymity.

Doctors would then assess each case via a phone call. Based on the information, doctors would classify each individual on a scale from zero to four. Zero and one would comprise symptomatic and mild cases, while four would indicate those at highest risks of severe symptoms or even death.

The mildest cases could be monitored through the phone, while the most severe would warrant emergency alerts to local medical centers so patients could be taken to hospital.

The first batch of volunteers, including several doctors from Viet Duc University Hospital, initiated a network trial Monday following a week of preparation. Initial surveys revealed close contacts of Covid-19 cases had a high demand for support calls.

The network is expected to officially launch Wednesday night.

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Source: VnExpress