HCM City (VNA) - Since the COVID-19outbreak flared up in the central city of Da Nang late last month, Ho Chi Minh City’sCho Ray Hospital has dispatched six medical teamsto help contain its spread.

Eightdoctors, five nurses and three laboratory technicians have been sent tohospitals in Da Nang and neighbouring Quang Nam province in the last two weeks.

Tran Thanh Linh, deputy head of Cho Ray’sintensive care unit, is assisting doctors at Da Nang Lung Hospital totreat severely ill COVID-19 patients.

Histeam members take turns at night to ensure round-the-clock assistance to themedical teams and care for patients, he said.

The Da Nang Lung Hospital’sintensive care unit currently houses dozens of patients with COVID-19, many ofthem on ventilators, some onextracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machines and being treated withcontinuous blood purification.

DrLe Kinh Luan, head of a medical team from Cho Raydispatched to Hoa VangHospital, said his team was helping treat nine COVID-19 patients and thenumber was expected to rise to 16 this week.

Huynh Quang Dai, deputised to Quang Nam province’s General Hospital, said the pressure on the health care workforce onthe front lines in the fight against COVID-19 in Da Nang and Quang Nam has intensified with anunprecedented workload and high risk of infection.

“Butwe do our best to treat infected patients with a sense of optimism anddetermination.”

OnAugust 8, HCM City’s Department of Health dispatched threedoctors and five nurses from Gia DinhPeople’s Hospital, People’s 115 and ThuDuc District Hospital to support Da Nang in the fight against COVID-19./.