Directive No. 01/2005/CT-BYT on medical services during the 2005 Tet Holiday (Year of the Rooster)

DIRECTIVE OF THE MINISTER OF HEALTH

On medical services during the 2005 Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday

To implement Directive No. 47/CT-TW dated December 30, 2004 of the Party Central Committee's Secretariat and Directive No. 48/2004/CT-TTg dated December 24, 2004 of the Prime Minister on organizing the reception of the 2005 Tet holiday, to ensure a safe, economical, and good service for people's health care during the Tet holiday, the Minister of Health instructs leaders of departments, bureaus, Inspectors, Office, heads of units under the Ministry, directors of provincial health services, and health sectors within their scope of responsibility and authority to organize and implement thoroughly the following matters:

1. Organize the Tet holiday joyfully, safely, healthily, and thriftily. It is not allowed to take advantage of the Tet holiday to organize wasteful meals or use collective funds or those from the state budget or public funds contrary to the regulations set by the State.

2. Take the initiative in disease prevention and control, especially avian influenza caused by the H5N1 virus and other dangerous infectious diseases. Strengthen environmental hygiene inspections, control old epidemic foci; focus on inspecting and coordinating with local sectors to maintain environmental hygiene at bus stations, train stations, and boat docks where large crowds gather and easily cause epidemics. Increase inspections and handle violations related to food safety, particularly at markets and places selling food for the Tet holiday. The disease surveillance system must arrange personnel to be on duty regularly before, during, and after the Tet holiday to detect early, isolate, and treat promptly suspected cases of illness; if there is an outbreak, immediately report to higher-level health agencies and the Ministry, and promptly implement measures to contain and extinguish the outbreak without allowing it to spread.

3. Organize well the provision of medical examinations and treatments during the Tet holiday. Medical facilities must arrange sufficient emergency teams capable of handling timely emergencies and childbirth during the Tet holiday; they may not refuse or delay any emergency case; if out of the designated area or specialty, initial emergency treatment must be provided, and patients can only be transferred to other medical facilities after the situation has stabilized and the patient and family have been properly informed. Organize well the transportation of patients to higher levels when necessary. Must enhance the sense of responsibility and service awareness, paying special attention to courteous and harmonious communication, strictly adhering to professional technical regulations. Provide thorough care and service for all patients remaining in hospitals for treatment or admitted for emergency care during the Tet holiday, both materially and spiritually, especially those who are policy beneficiaries and the poor. The Ministry assigns the Treatment Department to plan and organize inspections of hospitals during the Tet holiday together with the leadership of the Ministry.

4. Hospitals and central and local pharmaceutical companies must prepare sufficient medicines for treatment at reasonable prices and guaranteed quality. Strictly prohibit the sale of fake drugs, substandard drugs, expired drugs, and price hikes for medicines at both state and private pharmacies during the Tet holiday. Be ready to supply medicines in case of mass emergencies or outbreaks, especially in remote areas, disaster-stricken regions, and areas affected by natural disasters in the past year. Publicize the names and addresses of pharmacies that operate around the clock during the Tet holiday so that the public is aware.

5. Coordinate with local forces maintaining public order and security to ensure absolute safety for units during the Tet holiday. Carefully check fire prevention systems, electrical systems, fuel storage tanks, seal off, and cut off power switches for warehouses and offices before leaving for the Tet holiday. Units organize four levels of duty: leadership duty, professional duty, logistics duty, and security-guard duty; publicly post daily lists of duty officers for unit leaders to inspect and urge when necessary.

6. Units must quickly return to normal operations immediately after the Tet holiday. Provincial health services must compile and report data to the Ministry on the sixth day of the lunar new year; hospitals and preventive health centers in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (both central and local) must collect data on medical examinations and emergency treatments, disease outbreaks, and food safety during the Tet holiday and report to the Ministry of Health before 10 AM on the sixth day of the lunar new year, which is February 14, 2005 (the Treatment Department, Preventive Medicine Bureau, HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Bureau, and Food Safety Bureau for the Hanoi region; Administrative Management Division II for units based in Ho Chi Minh City). The Treatment Department, Preventive Medicine Bureau, HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Bureau, Food Safety Bureau, and the Ministry's Office need to develop detailed plans and notify these plans to units to effectively implement this directive, while collecting comprehensive information and data, compiling them, and reporting to the Ministry's leadership to report to the Government as required.

Leaders of departments, bureaus, Inspectors, Office, heads of units under the Ministry, Directors of provincial health services, and health sectors of ministries and sectors are responsible for organizing and implementing this directive./.