Effective models and movements to prevent and protect people during the COVID-19 pandemic

In the report on COVID-19 prevention and control, the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control commended many good practices, effective movements and models in disease prevention and control.

Early deployment of the Steering Committee for epidemic prevention

As a locality heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai, the first lesson is to establish a Steering Committee for epidemic prevention and control and immediately deploy epidemic prevention and control measures appropriate to the locality.

The city has promptly mobilized medical experts, incumbent and retired managers to listen to proposals, recommendations, and medical measures, such as setting up field hospitals, COVID-19 treatment hospitals, resuscitation centers, etc. In particular, policy responses and operational coordination are very important. This has a great impact, even decisive, on the results of epidemic prevention such as the allocation of epidemic prevention resources, vaccine strategies, etc.

Community COVID-19 Team

[caption id="attachment_605055" align="alignnone" width="768"] The community COVID-19 team visits each resident's house to inquire about their health and record their requests for timely support.[/caption] The community COVID-19 team is one of the solutions to promote the strength of the entire people, operating with the core of socio- political organizations, unions, and volunteers in residential areas organized and managed by local authorities and implementing technical instructions from the health sector. With the motto of "going to every alley, knocking on every door, checking every person", the community COVID-19 team has played an important role in detecting suspected cases of the disease and promptly reporting to local authorities for verification, screening, tracing, and timely handling of pathogens, limiting the spread in the community. At the same time, community COVID-19 teams have also done a good job of disseminating and mobilizing people to comply with regulations on disease prevention and control, and actively participating in supporting people affected by the disease... Mobile medical stations The establishment of mobile medical stations has helped people with COVID-19 to access medical services as quickly and as soon as possible, right from the grassroots level, in order to detect signs of worsening, provide oxygen support, provide treatment drugs (packages A, B, C) and promptly transfer to other facilities to minimize deaths. Mobile medical stations also provide medical examinations and first aid for other common diseases to ensure that people in epidemic areas still have timely access to basic health care services. The "3-tier tower" model in COVID-19 treatment stratification has been implemented in the context of overloaded treatment facilities and field hospitals. Level 1 is for treating mild and asymptomatic cases. Level 2 are field hospitals, converted hospitals specializing in admitting cases with moderate symptoms, underlying diseases, and high-risk factors. Level 3 is for treating severe and critical cases. The resuscitation hospitals on level 3 are responsible for linking with the hospitals on level 2, regularly consulting on severe cases, training, coaching, transferring resuscitation techniques to lower levels and directly supporting lower levels, promptly detecting early severe cases at lower levels, transferring them to higher levels, contributing to reducing the mortality rate of patients. The hospitals on level 2 are closely linked with quarantine facilities in wards, communes, towns, districts, and home quarantine (level 1) to reduce the rate of severe cases that have to be transferred to level 3. This model was first deployed in Bac Giang , then effectively deployed in Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, etc.

Remote consulting support

The remote consultation support model has been implemented in many forms such as: Hotline, switchboard 1800, 1900, and the network of Companion Doctors. This has helped people in need of support access health care information, treatment support, referrals, and early and timely access to medical services, especially during the period of social distancing and increased social distancing...

'Border Guard Loudspeaker' combines with the nationwide movement to fight the epidemic

With the propaganda motto of "going to every alley, knocking on every door", the "Border loudspeaker" model deployed by border guards to propagate COVID-19 prevention and control and monitor illegal entry and exit in border areas has been maximally effective, helping people, especially ethnic minorities, raise awareness and responsibility for COVID-19 prevention and control, understand the danger of COVID-19 and strictly comply with regulations in disease prevention and control.

Emulation movement of the Ministry of Public Security

[caption id="attachment_605056" align="alignnone" width="768"] In addition to ensuring the vaccination of COVID-19 vaccines for the entire population, the Government and ministries also have many support policies, ensuring economic, social and health care rights for the people.[/caption] The Ministry of Public Security is the first ministry to organize a launching ceremony to respond to the special emulation movement with the theme "People's Public Security Force - Shield for COVID-19 Prevention and Control - Sword to ensure security, order and social safety", as initiated by the Prime Minister. All officers and soldiers of the public security force have participated in the work of preventing and fighting the COVID-19 epidemic from tracing, detecting, zoning to ensuring security and order at checkpoints, quarantine areas, treatment areas...; have effectively applied the national database platform on population and citizen identification to serve the work of preventing and fighting the epidemic; arranged vehicles to lead convoys, support people to move back to their hometowns to ensure safety, smoothness and provide necessary necessities for people.

'People ask - City answers'

The program "People ask - City answers" in Ho Chi Minh City is in the form of livestream on social networking platforms, taking place at 8:00 p.m. every day (from August 24 to September 15, 2021) and 8:00 p.m. every Friday (from September 16, 2021) with creative, diverse, profound content, achieving high efficiency. According to Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Thanh Lam, this program shows the right and effective direction of the city when accurately capturing the thoughts and aspirations of the people.

Some other movements and ways of doing things

Other movements and methods actively implemented by people include: rice ATMs, oxygen ATMs, free ambulances, charity rice shops..., "field" distribution systems such as points of sale, mobile sales vehicles, "bringing the market to the street", online sales, shopping for others... The model of "militia in charge of households" coordinates with the local police force to ensure political security, order, and social safety, especially in the transportation of essential goods to help people feel secure in practicing social distancing...