HCM City (VNA) – Nearly 1,500 cases of out-of-hospital respiratory arrest in Ho Chi Minh City received first aid via phone over the past year, helping to improve the rate of successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation by 11%, according to the municipal Health Department.
Director of the department Tang Chi Thuong said that the city now has 44 satellite emergency stations, contributing to the coverage and provision of emergency services to all districts, towns, and Thu Duc city in the southern metropolis. The number of emergency calls via hotline 115 has increased 40 times compared to 2013 and before.
In addition, the emergency force has gradually offered specialised emergency services such as emergency care for mentally-ill patients, those with depression and suicidal thoughts, stroke patients, and those with multiple injuries.
Thuong noted that in 2013, the city has only one hospital in charge of providing out-of-hospital emergency services with five ambulances and a capacity of receiving about 5,000 calls per year.
Last year, the HCM City People's Committee approved a project on developing a professional out-of-hospital emergency system for the 2024-2030 period, aiming to build three centres in the three specialised medical clusters in the city. The city is considering the implementation of air and waterway emergency services and working to enhance connectivity with neighbouring areas, including the Mekong Delta, Southeastern provinces, and island areas.
Developing out-of-hospital emergency is considered a strategic solution to turn Ho Chi Minh into a medical hub in ASEAN./.
