Evaluation of liquid oxygen systems at tuberculosis and lung disease hospitals, provincial tuberculosis hospitals

INTRODUCTION
The Vietnam National Tuberculosis Program (CTCLNG) is collaborating with the Vietnam Representative Office of the Achieving Targets and Sustaining Epidemic Control (EpiC) project, funded by the United States Agency for International Development. United States (USAID) sponsors and implements a project focusing on activities to strengthen the capacity of the medical oxygen system to serve COVID19 and other lung diseases in provincial hospitals under the management of the National Health Organization during the period. period from August 2023 to February 2024.
The project will carry out a number of activities including: (i) Conduct an online assessment of all 51 Lung and Tuberculosis hospitals or Provincial Lung hospitals under the management of the NTP to determine (+) the need for medical oxygen. health conditions of units during the COVID-19 outbreak and in normal times, (++) existing infrastructure and equipment at hospitals; (ii) Conduct direct assessments at up to 20 hospitals on available equipment and training needs, capacity building needs, and knowledge gaps of medical staff related to oxygen system operation, on that basis determine training needs for relevant personnel; (iii) Develop summary reports, recommendations, training needs and additional equipment at facilities; (iv) The project can support a number of training activities to improve capacity based on actual needs, time, and resources (if any).

Introduction to the "Evaluation of the Oxygen system to respond to the COVID-19 epidemic and lung diseases"

EpiC supported the National Quality Program to carry out the assessment to achieve the following objectives:

General objective:
Evaluate the capacity of the oxygen supply system in medical examination and treatment of COVID-19, lung diseases and tuberculosis

Specific objectives:
1. Assess the existing oxygen equipment infrastructure at all 51 Lung and Tuberculosis hospitals, Provincial/City Lung hospitals under the National Quality Program. This objective determines how equipment meets, fails to meet, or exceeds needs during COVID-19 outbreaks, during “normal” periods, and for the treatment of tuberculosis and other lung diseases The review will identify unused equipment that could be better used in another hospital or identify gaps that need to be supported through other funding sources; and
2. Ability of medical staff to operate the oxygen system. This goal will be the basis for continuing to improve system management and operation capacity for managers and medical staff.
The assessment was conducted in two phases. In phase I, all hospitals will participate in the assessment by answering a questionnaire through the KoboToolbox online platform. In phase II, the NTP and EpiC/research agency will coordinate to select up to 20 hospitals according to agreed criteria to collect data directly and verify information obtained from the facility through process in answering questions online.