Nghe An province summarizes, evaluates, and draws lessons from its COVID-19 prevention and control efforts to better respond to new and complex public health issues.

On the afternoon of February 26th, the People's Committee of Nghe An province held a conference to summarize the work of preventing and controlling the Covid-19 epidemic in the province during the period 2020-2023.

Attending the conference were: Comrade Thai Thanh Quy - Member of the Central Committee of the Party, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council, Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation, Head of the Provincial Steering Committee for Covid-19 prevention and control; Comrade Hoang Nghia Hieu - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and other members of the Provincial Party Standing Committee; leaders of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation, the Standing Committee of the Provincial People's Council, the Provincial People's Committee, the Standing Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of the province and leaders of departments, agencies and localities.

LEARNING FROM EXPERIENCE TO BETTER RESPOND TO NEW, URGENT, AND COMPLEX ISSUES RELATED TO EPIDEMICS

Acute respiratory illness caused by a new strain of coronavirus (Covid-19) was first detected in December 2019 in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China.

On January 31, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the Covid-19 outbreak a global health emergency.

Nghe An province safely weathered the first three waves of the pandemic. During the fourth wave, Nghe An was one of the last five provinces in the country to record its first community-transmitted Covid-19 case on May 6, 2021, in Quynh Lap commune, Hoang Mai town.

Since the first case of Covid-19 in the country, Vietnam in general, and Nghe An in particular, has gone through more than three years battling four waves of outbreaks at progressively increasing levels of alarm and danger. The developments have been extremely complex, unpredictable, and unprecedented in history, with constantly changing variants causing extremely serious consequences, profoundly impacting many aspects of people's health and lives, and socio-economic development globally, nationally, and in the province.

Faced with the urgent need to protect the lives, health, and even survival of the people; while simultaneously ensuring social security, order, and economic development, under the leadership and guidance of the Politburo, the Government, the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, the Ministry of Health, and other central ministries and agencies; the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People's Council, the Provincial People's Committee, and the Provincial Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control have acted very urgently, promptly, and with high concentration, decisively leading and directing the work of epidemic prevention and control.

With the motto "safe adaptation, flexibility, and effective control of the Covid-19 pandemic" and a strong adherence to the "4 on-the-spot" principle, ensuring the health and protection of people's lives above all else, in accordance with the Government's directives; along with the active and focused involvement of the entire political system, departments, agencies, the Fatherland Front, mass organizations, businesses, and all citizens, Nghe An has gradually prevented, repelled, and effectively controlled the Covid-19 pandemic; making a significant contribution and creating conditions for socio-economic recovery and development.

In his opening remarks, Bui Dinh Long, Vice Chairman of the Nghe An Provincial People's Committee and Deputy Commander of the Provincial Covid-19 Prevention and Control Command Center, emphasized: The conference is of paramount importance, providing an opportunity to objectively, comprehensively, and fully review and assess the results and achievements attained; identify shortcomings and limitations; determine the causes of both successes and limitations; and especially to draw profound and important lessons learned in leadership, direction, and implementation of disease prevention and control measures. This will enable better response to new, urgent, and complex public health and community issues, as well as unforeseen social challenges that may arise in the future. Furthermore, it will allow for flexible, creative, and effective application of these lessons to other aspects of the province's and localities' socio-economic life.

Nghe An province has established provincial and district-level Steering Committees; and provincial, district, and commune-level Command Centers (100%). The entire province has organized isolation and health monitoring for over 1.2 million people. It is estimated that the health sector has conducted over 2 million rapid tests and approximately 800,000 RT-PCR tests.

In the province, over 500,000 people have been infected with Covid-19; however, to date, the number of recovered cases has reached 99.9%, with the remaining patients self-monitoring their health at home; 188 deaths have been recorded due to Covid-19, accounting for 0.03%, a much lower rate than the national average (0.37%).

The provincial health sector successfully organized the largest-ever Covid-19 vaccination campaign; administering over 8.3 million doses of vaccine, with 100% of basic doses administered; and the second and third doses for children exceeding the national average.

To carry out the work of preventing and controlling the Covid-19 epidemic, the budget allocated over 1,800 billion VND; from businesses and people, over 1,300 billion VND and many in-kind donations that cannot be converted into money. At the same time, the total social resources mobilized in money and materials converted into money from organizations and individuals nationwide amounted to over 1.3 trillion VND and many in-kind donations that cannot be converted into money; support and donations were also mobilized to assist people in epidemic areas (the people of Nghe An donated 292.56 tons of goods (worth 6.72 billion VND) and over 4.5 billion VND in cash to the people of Ho Chi Minh City).

ENHANCE CAPACITY AND ABILITY TO PROVIDE HEALTHCARE SERVICES

Speaking at the conference, after analyzing and evaluating the province's COVID-19 prevention and control efforts over the past three years, the Secretary of the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee, Thai Thanh Quy, emphasized the profound lessons learned, which remain highly relevant to leadership and guidance.

It requires unity and seamless coordination from top to bottom; proactiveness, decisiveness, timeliness, comprehensiveness, and flexibility; and a very important lesson is to rely on the strength of the people, and to support and assist each other.

Therefore, despite the dangerous and complex nature of the epidemic, Nghe An is one of the localities that has successfully implemented the motto "safely and flexibly adapt, effectively control the Covid-19 epidemic," and quickly transitioned to a new phase.

Therefore, after the two-year wave of the pandemic (2022, 2023), Nghe An province achieved very good results in socio-economic recovery, effectively implemented social welfare programs, and ensured national defense and security.

However, looking back at the implementation of COVID-19 prevention and control work in the province, Provincial Party Secretary Thai Thanh Quy expressed his concern that the COVID-19 pandemic revealed shortcomings in the grassroots healthcare system, preventive medicine, and the capacity to receive and treat patients. He also warned of the potential risk of disease outbreaks due to increasingly clear and unpredictable changes in the global natural environment.

Based on the above analysis, the Provincial Party Secretary requested that the remaining issues and obstacles in the work of preventing and controlling the Covid-19 epidemic be thoroughly researched and addressed with solutions, such as those related to policies and funding.

In particular, with the motto "prevention is better than cure," the Provincial People's Committee and the Health sector need to research, advise, and propose mechanisms and policies to gradually invest in the preventive and primary healthcare network; and improve the capacity and ability to provide preventive and healthcare services.

This also involves focusing on training and improving the quality of healthcare staff, especially at commune health stations, village health centers, and in remote, disadvantaged areas and areas inhabited by ethnic minorities, so that the healthcare workforce can meet the demands of the job when situations arise.

The Secretary of the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee also emphasized the need to effectively implement the major tasks and goals of the Nghe An Health sector as clearly outlined by the Politburo in Resolution No. 39-NQ/TW 39 on building and developing Nghe An province until 2030, with a vision to 2045; including the goal of building Vinh City into a regional medical center in the North Central region and upgrading several hospitals to specialized and tertiary hospitals;… On the other hand, it is necessary to research and develop mechanisms and policies to attract more investment in the field of pharmaceutical production in the province as well as the cultivation of medicinal plants in the western region of Nghe An.

The head of the Provincial Party Committee requested that the capacity and sense of responsibility of all levels, sectors, localities, units, and all segments of the population be enhanced in the work of preventing and controlling epidemics when an epidemic situation occurs.

Following the provincial-level review, the Provincial Party Secretary requested that all sectors and levels conduct reviews, evaluations, and award commendations to collectives and individuals with outstanding achievements.

On behalf of the provincial leadership and the Provincial Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control, the Provincial Party Secretary acknowledged and highly appreciated the contributions of all levels, sectors, agencies, units, localities, steering committees, command centers, and members of steering committees at all levels; especially the frontline forces such as medical staff, police officers, military personnel, border guards; and officials in the political system who have made very positive and important contributions to achieving the above results.

On the occasion of the 69th anniversary of Vietnamese Doctors' Day (February 27th), on behalf of the provincial leadership, the Provincial Party Secretary sends best wishes for joy, good health, and happiness to all medical staff and employees.

At the conference, 9 collectives and 10 individuals were awarded Certificates of Commendation by the Provincial Party Standing Committee for their outstanding achievements in directing and implementing Directive No. 07-CT/TU, dated August 7, 2021, of the Provincial Party Standing Committee on strengthening leadership and direction in preventing and controlling the Covid-19 epidemic in the province in the new situation.

44 collectives and 56 individuals with outstanding achievements in the prevention and control of the Covid-19 epidemic in Nghe An province during the period 2020 - 2023 received Certificates of Commendation from the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee.

The Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Nghe An province awarded Certificates of Commendation to 38 collectives and 61 individuals for their achievements in the prevention and control of the Covid-19 epidemic in Nghe An province during the period 2020-2023.