The Tan Binh District Field Hospital for Covid-19 treatment has 700 beds but has had to admit over 800 patients.



The hospital's vice director, Doctor Ho Huu Duc, said that many hospitals in the city had seen a sharp rise in the number of patients shortly after the city eased social distancing rules.

"We received 79 more patients on November 24, raising the total number of patients to 834 while the hospital's current capacity is only 700," the doctor said. 

More than 100 patients are having to use extra beds that are placed along the corridors.



Doctor Duc said that they are planning to raise the hospital capacity to 1,000 beds to serve the rising number of patients.

Van Bao Ngoc and her 9-year-old son are having to share an extra bed placed on the corridor of the first floor. Ngoc said that they were admitted to the hospital four days ago when there were no beds left.
"It was too crowded here but fortunately we are still feeling well," Ngoc said.

A nurse said that although the hospital had become overloaded, they had managed to maintain a safe distance between beds and enough equipment for the patients.

At present there are over 70 doctors and 130 nurses working at the hospital. Doctor Duc said that they are proposing to the municipal Health Department to send more staff as they are planning to raise the hospital’s capacity.

A report from the hospital said that during a week from November 16-22, the hospital admitted 569 patients, discharged 507 others after their recovery, and reported 22 deaths.

Ho Chi Minh City is still the biggest Covid-19 epicentre in Vietnam, which is reporting a resurgence in the number of infections after a short time easing social distancing measures. On Thursday the city recorded 1,582 new cases, raising the total number of infections in the city to 462,371.