The webinar attracts many overseas Vietnamese experts (Photo: organising board)
Hanoi (VNA) – A webinar was held online on August 12 to gather ideas from overseas Vietnamese (OV) in controlling COVID-19 in Ho Chi Minh City.
Opening the event, Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Hieu, head of the State Committee for OV Affairs highlighted the contributions of OVs to the pandemic fight Vietnam.
Vietnamese around the world have donated about 35 billion VND (1.54 million USD) to COVID-19 prevention and control activities and more than 13.8 billion VND to the national COVID-19 Vaccine Fund, along with large quantities of medical supplies. They have also shared experience in the work and registered to join frontline forces in the fight, he noted.
The official expressed his hope that through the webinar, Vietnamese experts abroad will share their experience in pandemic prevention and control and give their opinions on solutions to stamp out the pandemic in Vietnam, especially Ho Chi Minh City, the current largest COVID-19 hotspot in the country.
An overview of the event (Photo: qdnd.vn)
According to Vice Chairman of the HCM City People’s Council Nguyen Van Dung, the city is facing challenges in ensuring the livelihood for local residents and strengthening COVID-19 prevention and control measures amid the complicated and prolonged pandemic developments.
He said that the city needs more resources to care for local residents, especially affected labourers, stressing that HCM City highly value OV support in COVID-19 prevention and control.
At the event, many experts shared experience and knowledge as well as lessons in pandemic fight of many countries in the world.
Doctor Vu Ngoc Khue from the US highlighted the strategy of setting up three layers in pandemic control – people in their residential areas, medical staff in hospitals, medical facilities and quarantine areas, and the armed forces.
Khue said four weeks are enough to end the spreading of the pandemic and clean up the environment, stressing the need for strict implementation of social distancing measures, along with the mobilising of the whole economic, political and social system to support people in COVID-19 fight.
Meanwhile, Doctor Vo Toan Trung, an OV in France, said that Vietnam should focus on designing plans to respond to the extremely dangerous situation when the number of patients goes beyond the capacity of the medical system.
He suggested that the medical force should be divided into three groups to take turn in working to avoid overload.
Doctor Trung said that HCM City can isolate the entire industrial parks to ensure production, while applying work-from-home for all other sectors. Meanwhile, the city must receive priority in vaccine supply and the pace of vaccination should be sped up.
During the period of strict social distancing, efforts should be concentrated on vaccination and testing, which should be effective in controlling the pandemic, he said./.
