Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnamese and US experts and doctors on August 12shared experience in treating patients with end-stage chronic kidney failureamid the COVID-19 outbreaks, as most of the COVID-19 deaths in Vietnam arerelated to this disease.
The video conferencewas jointly held by the Health Ministry and the Vietnamese Embassy in the US,with the participation of Deputy Health Minister Tran Van Thuan, Director ofthe Health Ministry’s Department of Medical Examination and Treatment LuongNgoc Khue, leaders and heads of several central-level hospitals’ renaldepartments, and US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar.
Speaking at the event,Thuan said statistics and scientific evidence show that in the world and inVietnam in particular, the elderly and those with chronic diseases, especially end-stagechronic kidney failure, have been affected the most by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The implementation of thesocial distancing and COVID-19 prevention and control measures has been achallenge for kidney care services such as dialysis and peritoneal dialysis atmedical clinics, he added, adding that since July 25, Vietnam has recorded 38COVID-19 patients who have been treated with hemodialysis for years and alsosuffered other underlying and chronic diseases.
Foreign expertsadvised Vietnam to conduct peritoneal dialysis at home to minimise the risk ofinfection at hospitals.
Vietnam was also recommendedto consider using automatic peritoneal dialysis with remote prescriptionfunction to treat patients with artificial kidneys, which is an effectivemethod the US is applying./.