Hanoi (VNA) – Multiple enterprises have closeddown or reduced production scale due to the complicated developments of the COVID-19pandemic, according to a report from the National Assembly’s Committee for Social Affairs.

Industrial production growth has seen the largest drop in thelast six and a half years.

Production has been delayed due to a lack of rawmaterials, as a majority of enterprises have depended on materials from Chinaand other markets, the report said, adding that effects caused by the epidemic onthe country’s GDP growth are inevitable.

The State will have to deploy economic support packages to help businesses revitalizetheir production and business, and support labourers, it said.

For the health sector, if the epidemic is prolonged, health facilities will beunder pressure and facing difficulties maintaining the operation of the preventivehealthcare system. There will be a shortage of medical workers for epidemiologicalinvestigation, taking samples for testing, and organizing quarantine, thereport said.

It also mentioned the need to prepare enough medical supplies, medicine, andpersonal protective gear to meet the medium- and long-term disease preventionefforts.

Another problem is the strong reduction in the number ofpatients seeking treatment at medical facilities, the report said, citingexamples at many hospitals in Hanoi with decreases of patients ranging from30-50 percent.

On one hand, this will affect patients’ health, and onthe other hand, hospitals will suffer from decreasing revenues.

Meanwhile, the health insurance fund is also forecast to be seriously impacted ifthe number of COVID-19 cases surges, it said, clarifying that treatment costs forCOVID-19 patients are quite high.

For the field of labour and employment, job loss and unemployment hasincreased, the report said, citing a quick survey of 1,200 SMEs conducted bythe Prime Minister’s advisory board on administrative procedure reform whichshowed the epidemic has force them to cut workforce or let workers take no-payleave, as well as cut wages. The enterprises also face a high risk of bankruptcy.

In February alone, about 47,100 unemployed labourers nationwidefiled applications for unemployment insurance in February, 63.26 percent higherthan in January.

Joblessness and strict compliance with disease prevention regulations will leadto lower purchasing power, the report noted.

According to the Ministry of Labour, Invalidsand Social Affairs, about 500,000 Vietnamese guest workers are working under definite-term labour contracts in 36 countries and territoriesworldwide. So far, no Vietnamese workers have been confirmed positive for thenovel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 in the three main markets of Japan, Taiwan (China)and the Republic of Korea.

The report said so far Vietnamese guest workers areworking normally and have not showed wish to go home at this time.

The committee asked the NA Standing Committee to pay special attention to budgetallocation and adjustments for the health sector in order to strengthen publichealthcare capacity in both general and preventive healthcare.

It also suggested the Government build socio-economic development scenarios onthe basis of the epidemic’s development, and in the post-pandemic period,especially arranging and making adjustments to exams and study plans forstudents in the 2019-2020 academic year./.