Hanoi transforms to adapt to the new context

DNHN - Since the Covid-19 pandemic began wreaking havoc on socioeconomic life in Hanoi two years ago, the city has undergone numerous radical adjustments, gradually overcoming its deficiencies and limitations in illness prevention and control. This is the assumption upon which people's health, safety, rapid recovery, and development are predicated.

Recognizing the shortcomings and limitations 

The emergence of the Covid-19 epidemic, particularly a severe outbreak in 2021, demonstrated that the health system's capabilities, particularly grassroots health care in the capital, have numerous limitations and deficiencies. 

Tran Thi Nhi Ha, Director of the Department of Health, candidly confesses that in many areas, there are only five to ten medical professionals/stations, even inwards with populations over 30,000 in Hoang Mai and Dong districts. 

Accordingly, when the Covid-19 outbreak becomes complicated, the health system becomes overburdened. Additionally, the low quality of human resources, the lack of buildings and equipment, and the degradation of existing facilities and equipment are persistent concerns of grassroots health care.

During the time of social distancing in 2021, the City Party Committee and People's Committee of the city also pointed out the lack of consistency in the implementation of measures to prevent and control the epidemic when some communes, wards and towns have not yet firmly grasped their views and opinions. 

The city's guiding ideology, especially its application at the grassroots, caused extremes in the implementation of epidemic prevention and control measures. The shortcomings in the implementation of measures to prevent and control the Covid-19 epidemic have greatly affected people's lives and business activities.

According to Vu Duy Tuan, Deputy Director of the Department of Planning and Investment, service industries will be severely impacted in 2021 by the pandemic as well as distancing efforts to avoid and contain the epidemic. Since then, the number of job losses has escalated; thousands of enterprises have been forced to close or operate on a reduced scale. 

According to Colonel Tran Ngoc Duong, Deputy Director of the Hanoi City Police, a portion of the population continues to show neglect and subjectivity in disease prevention and control. As with the holidays and Tet, despite the authorities' recommendations, many people continue to congregate and dine in public locations, violating the "5K" guideline. 

Additionally, there are instances of F0 and F1 patients concealing themselves, evading or making dishonest disclosures, and travelling and mingling with a large number of individuals, posing issues for public health," Colonel Tran Ngoc Duong stated. 

Securing fundamental objectives 

After six months of implementing Government Resolution No. 128/NQ-CP dated October 11, 2021, promulgating the temporary regulation "Safely adapting, flexibly controlling the Covid-19 epidemic"; particularly in the first quarter of 2022, closely following the direction of the Central Committee, the City Party Committee, and all levels, branches, and localities of the city that have been involved since the beginning of the year, actively implemented drastically. 

According to Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee, Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Chu Ngoc Anh, so far, the city has passed the peak of the Covid-19 epidemic. 

Which, Hanoi has effectively implemented the core goals of the Covid-19 epidemic prevention and control, such as controlling floor movements, reducing mortality and severe transfer; ensuring that the number of cases does not exceed the receiving capacity of the health system; at the same time, proactively and flexibly adapting to the Covid-19 epidemic for socio-economic recovery and development.

The City People's Committee has pushed decentralization and decentralization of powers to units and localities, building on the foundation of effective disease management and drawing lessons from several shortcomings identified in the prevention and control of epidemics in the past. attach the leader's responsibilities to epidemic response actions. 

Can Thi Viet Ha, Chairwoman of the Ha Dong District People's Committee, said that for students at all levels to return to school immediately and for some services to resume operation, the City People's Committee has asked districts, districts, and towns to make decisions based on the current state of epidemics in the area, while also strengthening inspection of epidemic prevention and control at establishments.

Also thanks to good disease control, in the first quarter, Hanoi's export turnover increased by 6.1% (the same period decreased by 1%), and imports and turnover increased by 18.5% (the same period increased by 4%). The consumer price index (CPI) tends to increase, putting pressure on the control target below 4% in 2022; the Average CPI in the first quarter increased by 2.66% (in the same period, by 0.04%). 

Total development investment capital in the first quarter reached VND 76,260 trillion, up 7.8% (upper content in the same period last year). FDI capital attracted USD 575 million, of which 64 new projects were registered and 28 projects with additional investment capital of USD 209.3 million; registered to contribute capital, buy shares of 365.4 million USD. There were 6,250 newly established enterprises with a registered capital of 95 trillion dongs (up 2% in several enterprises and a 4% increase); 4,500 enterprises resumed operation (up 2%). 

In addition, the city has effectively implemented the application of information technology in handling administrative procedures. Currently, the city has completed providing 14/14 essential public services at Cleveland l 3, level 4; In which, 11/14 essential public services have been connected and shared with the National Population Database by the Government's roadmap... 

In particular, at the last Wednesday session, the 16th Hanoi People's Council approved the update of the city's five-year medium-term public investment plan 2021-2025 with three areas of health, education, and training embellishment of monuments. 

Director of Hanoi Department of Planning and Investment Do Anh Tuan said that the city's investment in building, upgrading, expanding, renovating and repairing facilities in the health sector will ensure professional requirements, especially in the context of the Covid-19 epidemic. 

The outcomes obtained in the prevention and control of the Covid-19 outbreak demonstrate the capital's enormous efforts and rapid transformation to adapt to the new environment. However, in light of the epidemic's uncertain course, the city must continue to take aggressive measures to avoid it "early, from afar." 

Reopening activities does not imply lax control or management, but rather requires units and local governments to be more proactive in epidemic prevention and control, thereby providing a solid foundation for socioesocioeconomically and development.

 HNM