Temporary hospitals planned amid surge in Covid cases

The National Taskforce Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control is preparing temporary hospitals amid a spike in the number of Covid-19 cases.
Speaking at a media briefing on April 25, Director General of the Department of Communicable Disease Control, Ministry of Health, Dr Rattanaxay Phetsavanh, said authorities had inspected places proposed for use as temporary hospitals, which will be used if existing hospitals become full to capacity.
“The committee, the Ministry of Health and other relevant bodies have been studying and preparing to set up makeshift hospitals in various parts of Vientiane to

ensure that everyone infected with Covid-19 has access to healthcare,” he said as quoted in a media release.
Dr Rattanaxay unveiled the latest government plan to respond to the surge in infections after giving an update on the most recent cases, with the number projected to increase further in the coming days.
The media briefing on April 25 revealed that 76 more cases had been identified after 2,115 samples were tested on April 24. Of these, 64 cases were located in Vientiane, four in Luang Namtha province, five in Saravan province, two in Savannakhet province and one in Bokeo province.
The number of cases increased rapidly over the past week. On Friday, authorities confirmed 65 cases and 88 more the following day. The total number of cases recorded stood at 323 on April 25.
Infections have been found in Vientiane and eight provinces. Vientiane has recorded the highest number at 243, followed by Champassak with seven, Saravan with six, Bokeo with six, Savannakhet with five, and Luang Namtha with four, while Vientiane, Khammuan and Borikhamxay provinces have each identified one case.
The number of cases recorded in Vientiane is high in part because authorities have carried out rapid testing in a bid to trace infected people and slow the spread of the virus. There are currently four virus test centres in the capital.
Dr Rattanaxay said the government has initially allocated three public hospitals for the treatment of Covid patients. If Mittaphab Hospital becomes full, people will be transferred to 103 Bed Hospital, Setthathirath Hospital or a temporary hospital.
To support the government’s efforts to stop the spread of the virus, Dr Rattanaxay called on everyone to strictly comply with the prime minister’s order banning people from leaving home unless absolutely necessary.
He said taskforce members had observed that there were still a number of people driving around Vientiane, adding that this would make it difficult for authorities to control the spread of the virus.
In response to questions about the timeline of new cases, authorities said it was not important to know this because all locations in Vientiane are now considered to be at risk.
Health officials urge anyone who thinks they have come into contact with an infected person to self-isolate for 14 days. People who need to leave their homes must wear a face mask, regularly wash their hands with soap, and avoid touching their mouth and eyes.

By Times Reporters
(Latest Update April 26, 2021)