Hospitals in HCM City have boosted emergency room staff numbers for the Tet, expecting a dramatic increase in the number of traffic accident trauma cases over the holiday period, with the number of fatalities likely to be higher than last year.
Many hospitals in HCM City gear up for rush of Tet traffic traumas
Already, the emergency room at Cho Ray Hospital is busy treating traffic accident victims, though past experience indicates the worst is yet to come, with numbers expected to peak on the second day of the New Year. Medical staff are now working 12-hour shifts, instead of the usual eight hours.
Dr. Le Ngoc Huy said the hospital had carefully arranged shifts to maximise available staff and emergency teams, and stockpiled medical supplies.
A report from the National Committee for Traffic Safety says that in the period February 15-18, there have been 188 traffic accidents nationwide, resulting in 122 deaths and 144 injuries, up compared to last Tet in terms of fatalities, but down in injuries.
The Emergency Centre hotline 115 in HCM City is receiving a heavy stream of calls, with operators on rotating eight-hour shifts, with a backup team working round-the-clock at Sai Gon General Hospital.
Trung Vuong Hospital has raised the number of doctors on duty to 150 a day over Tet.
Dr. Vo Tan Canh, chairman of the trade union at Trung Vuong Hospital, said doctors had been told they could be pulled from other wards to help with emergency cases. – VOV
