New “weapon” helps health workers in Bac Giang fight pandemic

New separate rooms for collecting COVID-19 swab samples arrived in Tan Yen district of the northern province of Bac Giang on June 6, helping health workers in the locality in a timely manner. Vietnam recorded 44 new cases of COVID-19, all domestic infections, over the past 12 hours to 6:00am on June 7, raising the national tally to 8,791, according to the Ministry of Health. Of the new cases, Bac Giang, the country’s current largest coronavirus hotspot, accounted for the majority with 24 infections, followed by Ho Chi Minh City (12), Bac Ninh (6), and Ha Nam (2). They were all detected inside quarantine or locked down sites (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Architect Khieu Huu Nghia in Hanoi came up with the idea and joined hands with his associates to set up a room which aims to help doctors in the frontline deal with severe heat and ensure their health while battling with the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Children under five years old who had close contact with COVID-19 patients in Bac Giang are now allowed to undergo mandatory quarantine at home provided that all pandemic prevention requirements are met, according to an urgent notice signed by Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Truong Son on June 5 which provided new instructions on medical quarantine for children under 15 years old in the northern province (Photo: VietnamPlus)

The rooms for collecting COVID-19 swab samples are equipped with a smart and safe system. Everything is disinfected eight minutes prior to the new shifts. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has emphasised the need to continue implementing COVID-19 prevention and control measures at the highest level. He asked for more efforts to effectively carry out the country’s vaccine strategy and apply information technology in pandemic prevention and control in the context of the fourth outbreak developing in a more complex manner. The Government leader lauded the efforts of localities hit hard by the pandemic, such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Bac Giang, and Bac Ninh, and people working on the frontlines of the fight (Photo: VietnamPlus)

In addition, the automatic system in the room could be controlled remotely, which allows health workers to reduce direct contact with surface and focus on collecting swab sample. Earlier this month, the Bac Giang fellow-countrymen association in the Czech Republic donated 10 tonnes of rice to support Bac Giang province. The donations, which have been sent to the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF)’s chapters in Viet Yen, Tan Yen, Yen Dung and Hiep Hoa districts, and Bac Giang city, was held in Prague, the Czech Republic, on June 2. According to President of the association Tran Quang Khai, a fund-raising programme was launched on May 25 among Vietnamese expats, businesses and donors in the Czech Republic, collecting a total of over 160 million VND (nearly 7,000 USD) (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Architect Khieu Huu Nghia, head of the project to set up the room, said that the outer surface of the room comprises five layers. All of them have rubber gaskets and adhesive substance to prevent air intruding from outside. As a result, air will go through a ventilation system on the ceiling and will be filtered through membranes to fend off particulate matter along with antimicrobial face masks. Vietnam recorded 44 new cases of COVID-19, all domestic infections, over the past 12 hours to 6:00am on June 7, raising the national tally to 8,791, according to the Ministry of Health. Of the new cases, Bac Giang, the country’s current largest coronavirus hotspot, accounted for the majority with 24 infections (Photo: VietnamPlus)

One room has four doors, as four people can have their samples taken at the same time. The rooms are equipped with a smart and safe system. Everything is disinfected eight minutes prior to the new shifts. The system could be controlled remotely, which enables health workers to reduce direct contact with surface and focus on collecting swab samples. Meanwhile, authorities of Bac Giang said the province will speed up vaccinations, aiming to administer some 102,000 doses to workers, as allocated by the Government. A total of 13 businesses in the province, with 5,133 workers, have resumed their operations under a new model (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Furthermore, the room has a 12,000 BTU air conditioner to help the health workers cool down and focus on their work without feeling the scorching temperature outside. Bac Giang in summer is hot, oppressive, and overcast. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 13°C to 33°C. The hot season lasts for about five months, from May to October, with an average daily high temperature above 31°C and even higher. The hottest day of the year is June 27, with an average high of 33°C and low of 27°C. Frontline workers, like members of the army and public security forces and medical workers, usually have to wear thick personal protective suits around the clock (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Medical workers carry out their work at the room. Architect Khieu Huu Nghia, head of the project to set up the room, said that the outer surface of the room comprises of five layers. All of them have rubber gaskets and adhesive substance to prevent air intruding from outside. As a result, air will go through a ventilation system on the ceiling and will be filtered through membranes to fend off particulate matter along with antimicrobial face masks. In addition, the automatic system could be controlled remotely, which allows health workers to reduce direct contact with surface and focus on collecting swab samples (Photo: VietnamPlus)

There are four stools inside so that medical workers can take a short break and avoid overexerting their legs due to standing for a long time. One room has four doors, as four people can have their samples taken at the same time. A medical robot manufactured by the Military Technology Academy to support COVID-19 prevention and control activities was sent to the northern province of Bac Giang on June 1. The robot, called “Vibot,” is the result of a scientific research project conducted by the academy since April 2020. It has been piloted in Bac Thang Long Hospital and the second facility of Bach Mai Hospital with positive results (Photo: VietnamPlus)

People wait in line to get tested while health workers stay inside the room and prepare to collect sample. The building of the room is being carried out in a quick fashion as it took over four days to set up the system in Bac Giang, the country’s current largest coronavirus hotspot. Frontline workers, like members of the army and public security forces and medical workers, usually have to wear thick personal protective suits around the clock. Meanwhile, it is currently the hot season in Bac Giang, which lasts for about five months from May to October, with an average daily high temperature above 31°C (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Creative ideas in the context of COVID-19, such as the room for collecting swab samples and the “rice ATMs” that providing rice for the poor free of charge, among others, have not only proved effective, but also demonstrated the solidarity and indomitability of the Vietnamese people in battling against COVID-19 like fighting enemies. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh recently lauded the efforts of localities hit hard by the pandemic, such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Bac Giang, and Bac Ninh, and people working on the frontlines of the fight. Over the past 12 hours to 6:00am on June 7, Bac Giang recorded a majority of the country’s COVID-19 new cases with 24 (Photo: VietnamPlus)