    |
 |
|
General Phan Van Giang speaks at the event. |
On August 23, Defense Minister General Phan Van Giang and Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh led a delegation to visit and encourage front-line medical personnel at Field Hospital for Infectious Diseases No.5D in Ho Chi Minh City.
According to the hospital’s Director Senior Colonel Nguyen Van Chinh, the hospital has over 350 doctors and medical staff with 1,000 beds which can be extended to 1,500 to 2,000 beds. From August 5 to 23, it received and treated 1,003 COVID-19 patients, of whom 353 were discharged from the hospital.
Having heard reports from the hospital’s director, Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh praised the military in general and the medical force in particular, emphasizing that the Ministry of National Defense has actively implemented and mobilized reinforced medical personnel to Ho Chi Minh City for the COVID-19 fight.
The Deputy Prime Minister directed troops to complete their assigned tasks while ensuring COVID-19 prevention and control, in order to minimize infection risk in the coming time, amid the complicated developments of the pandemic. He expressed his hope that with the high determination and the MND’s drastic directions, they would win the COVID-19 enemy.
|
|
 |
|
Defense Minister Phan Van Giang and Deputy PM Le Van Thanh present gifts to the hospital. |
During the inspection, on behalf of the Central Military Commission and MND, General Giang thanked the deputy prime minister for encouraging the military forces in charge of disease prevention and control.
He also applauded the hospital for their good task performance in COVID-19 treatment, asking them to strictly adhere to COVID-19 prevention and control regulations as well as ensure safety for themselves and people. He also requested the Government’s Special Working Group in Southern provinces to devise timely and suitable policies to acknowledge the troops’ contributions.
Despite difficulties facing front-line forces, the defense minister believed that they would successfully complete their assigned tasks in order to quickly contain the pandemic and bring life back to normal. "We have fought long-lasting resistance wars to safeguard the Fatherland throughout history, and we are currently in a new long battle in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. We have to win!,” General Giang affirmed.
* On the same day, the delegation also visited and encouraged anti-COVID-19 troops in Thu Duc city.
Translated by Minh Anh