Deputy Minister of Health and experts ready for COVID-19 support mission in Laos

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A group of 35 Vietnamese doctors and caregivers, accompanied by Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son, will depart Hanoi to Lao to assist the nation’s fight against COVID-19, heard a meeting between them and Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long in Hanoi on May 3.

Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long and delegates at the meeting in Hanoi.

According to Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son, the group’s mission is to support in testing, treatment, building of treatment hospitals, and training for use of Vietnamese-funded medical equipment.

At the meeting, Nguyen Minh Chau, deputy head of the ministry’s international cooperation department, said the experts from nine medical facilities nationwide are scheduled to be in Laos between 15 and 17 days, which could be shortened or prolonged based on real-life situations.  Expenses of their working trip are sourced from the State budget.

Per information from the Lao side, the Vietnamese delegation will be tested for COVID-19 at the airport, and they then will begin their mission immediately without quarantine.

Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said the group will give guidance and directly join their Lao peers in COVID-19 prevention and control there. The guidance ought to cover all prevention work like contact tracing, quarantine, lockdown, and social distancing, he noted.

He underscored Laos needs to be assisted most in treatment work, including the building of hospitals for treating COVID-19 patients. He also revealed that the Vietnamese experts will help treating severe patients and guiding Lao doctors and nurses on treatment methods.  

Laos also demands Vietnam’s assistance in the establishment of its testing system for a large-scale implementation, the minister said, recommending the experts share their experiences in sample collection as well as waste and environment management in quarantine sites.

He told the group to ask for increasing connection with Vietnam’s treatment system when they reach Laos’ remote areas. The ministry has asked the Viettel Military Industry and Telecoms Group to support internet connection between Vietnam and Laos.

Laos has so far had nearly 1,000 COVID-19 cases, but there has been a steady increase in recent weeks, peaking at 100 a day, putting a big burden on the medical system.