PM orders to boost production of medical equipment, ventilators

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc directed to speed up treatment and screening training and field hospital preparation as well as accelerate production of high quality medical equipment, including ventilators at affordable prices, said the government office yesterday.
The Ministry of Health was assigned to carry out all things above.
Additionally, the Prime Minister also asked local administrations especially in big cities, to boost reserves of high-quality food and essential goods to instantly provide for locals at affordable price as well as pay more attention to caring the poor’s lives.
Besides, local authorities are supposed to strictly impose punishments, even criminal penalties on those who making dishonest health declarations, failing to comply with isolation, not wearing masks, gathering in crowds, opposing people on duty; speculating, hoarding goods, raising prices, producing and trading fake and poor-quality goods.
Any expatriate who breaks the laws will be also strictly handled or even deported in accordance with the law.
In addition, the Prime Minister directed to assist Laos, Cambodia in the Covid-19 fight and offer medical equipment to Vietnam’s strategic partners such as the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain by providing them with medical equipment and supplies.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs must report how to treat people entering into Vietnam from Cambodia after they finish the 14 day quarantine. The Ministry of Defense urgently set up a military medical team ready to help Laos in the Covid-19 epidemic battle.
When it comes to the construction of field hospitals for urgent situation, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung requested the Ministry of Health to coordinate with the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Construction, state competent agencies and other localities to consider more appropriate locations for the construction of field hospitals especially in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
He stated that boosting ventilator manufacturing is a must amid the complex development of the deadly virus.
Currently, several domestic enterprises have been actively and urgently researching and producing medical equipment to prevent epidemics such as remote body temperature cameras and ventilators.
Deputy Prime Minister Dung required the Ministry of Health to check the entire number of ventilators currently in use and storage plus fully assess the need for ventilators for the scenarios and develop a plan for future production.
The Ministry of Health will have to work closely with local ventilator producers to actively researching and speeding up the production in addition to introducing general standards for ventilator production, proving gauging devices and imposing free-tax entry for materials used for manufacturing.
According to the National Steering Committee on Covid-19 prevention and control’s report, approximately 5,245 ventilators have been available nationwide. If the epidemic occurs at levels 3 and 4, about 1,315 ventilators can be mobilized. Currently, localities have ordered 273 ventilators for backup and 155 of which have been transported to localities.

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