Unforgettable days in the ‘race’ to regain breath for Covid-19 patients

Thot Not General Hospital is a hospital treating Covid-19 patients in Can Tho. BS.CKII Nguyen Ngoc Diem Uyen – Head of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, recalls: “Doctors treating Covid-19 patients at the Emergency Department, continuously monitor the device to measure the patient’s blood oxygen concentration (SPO2). ), many patients have SPO2 index falling below 60, those patients show severe respiratory failure, shortness of breath, shortness of breath, while the meter indicates the volume of liquid oxygen in the tank is also decreasing gradually, right? switch to temporary use of oxygen cylinders. It is estimated that if there is no liquid oxygen in a few days, the death toll will certainly increase very high.”

According to BS. Uyen, the hospital contacted many oxygen suppliers, but only received a shake of the head, even though the price at that time had doubled.

Under the drastic direction of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Health, the Departments of Health of the provinces, by way of “oxygen diplomacy”, through the excellent doctor – BS.CCII Tran Van Khanh – Director of Le Hospital Van Thinh HCMC, Dr. Uyen was able to connect with steel factories of Southern Steel. This is also the peak period of the epidemic in Ho Chi Minh City, some oxygen workshops at the factory were quickly converted into free medical oxygen pumping stations.

“The letter from Thot Not General Hospital has just been sent, and immediately received a response from Thu Thu Duc Steel Factory: “Hospitals keep driving to km 9 of Hanoi Highway, at the oxygen pumping station of the Steel Factory. Thu Duc, you can take as much as you want, regardless of day or night,” said Dr. Uyen said, “On the night of December 21 and early morning, December 22, 2021, the first bus carried oxygen to the hospital, pumped it directly to the ICU room for the patient to breathe. Overnight, more than 70 lives were restored.”

In the situation of the whole West as “drought looks like rain”, continuously in the following days, Dr. Uyen has also connected with many other hospitals in need of oxygen in the West. Representatives of hospitals and Steel Plants overcame obstacles in inter-provincial traffic, looking for safe and standard means of transport so that hundreds of tons of liquid oxygen were transported and shared equally. frontline hospitals in the provinces of Long An, Ben Tre, Ca Mau, Soc Trang, An Giang,…

According to BS. Uyen, on the afternoon of December 31, 2021, dozens of Covid-19 patients in Ca Mau province are waiting for oxygen. Dr. To Minh Nghi – Deputy Director of Ca Mau General Hospital immediately contacted the Oxygen Program Coordination Team of the Southern Steel Factory. Overcoming all administrative rules and procedures, Southern Steel approved 20 tons of liquid oxygen and rushed to bring it from Phu My I industrial park, Ba Ria Vung Tau province right on New Year’s Eve to Ca Mau, on the way. He also shared it with 2 Ben Tre’s hospitals.

According to Mr. Nguyen Nguyen Ngoc, General Director of Southern Steel – VNSteel, right before the Lunar New Year, the production and business situation also quickly recovered and returned to a new normal, oxygen demand for products. Steel production started to increase, there were times when factories also lacked oxygen. However, the leaders of Vietnam Steel Corporation – JSC directed its member units to put their determination and give maximum priority to medical oxygen sources to continue supporting and accompanying hospitals in the West for until the need is gone. Many times, Southern Steel had to find medical oxygen instead of self-sufficient sources, regardless of holidays, holidays … pumped up the tanks, ensuring the oxygen source was not lacking for the need to save lives.

According to Mr. Ngoc, by the end of March 2022, about 300 tons of liquid oxygen had been transferred from the steel factories of 3 member units of Vietnam Steel Corporation – JSC to hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City and other hospitals. western province. Leaders of the companies affirmed to continue to supply this liquid oxygen source to hospitals until the demand is exhausted.

According to Doctor Le Van Nghia – Deputy Director of Nguyen Dinh Chieu Hospital, cum Deputy Director of Field Hospital No. 2, Ben Tre province, who is one of the people in charge of professional treatment of Covid-19 patients. , “We encourage each other to try our best, focus all our efforts to collect and treat Covid-19 patients, use all available equipment to provide timely and best treatment for patients. The biggest difficulty was that during the peak of the epidemic in the West, the supply of liquid oxygen was severely lacking, we had to contact everywhere to find a source of liquid oxygen to serve the treatment of Covid patients. -19. And at that time, Southern Steel’s liquid oxygen support was extremely valuable and meaningful. We would like to express our gratitude on behalf of the patients and their families on behalf of the Vietnam Steel Corporation. – JSC and 3 member units, namely Southern Steel One Member Limited Company – VNSteel, Vicasa Steel Joint Stock Company – VNSteel, Thu Duc Steel Joint Stock Company – VNSteel have promptly supported customers. source of oxygen, supporting us in the treatment of Covid-19 patients”.

Doan Phong