Ministry establishes safety criteria for hospitals against COVID-19

The set, which includes 37 specific criteria, is the basis for directing and guiding hospitals to assess their preparation and response to COVID-19 and other acute respiratory infections, thereby helping to protect patients, their family members and healthcare workers against disease transmission.

Based on their evaluation according to this set of criteria, hospitals will identify priorities to ensure safe medical examination and treatment in the prevalence of COVID-19 and other acute respiratory infections.

The ministry’s Department of Medical Examination and Treatment has been assigned as the unit responsible for guiding, directing, inspecting, monitoring and supervising the implementation of the set of criteria, while summing up reports on self-assessment from hospitals to submit to the health minister.

Assoc. Prof., Dr. Luong Ngoc Khue, the head of the department, said that in the fight against COVID-19, hospitals are at the forefront in detecting and providing treatment for infected cases, helping to prevent and control the disease. Hospitals are also at risk of infecting and spreading the diseases, as well as facing other acute respiratory infections in the community, such as influenza, measles, whooping cough, diphtheria, etc…

Therefore, hospitals need to pay attention to cope with the COVID-19 epidemic in the immediate period, while dealing with other acute respiratory infections in the long term, thus ensuring their safe and effective operation.