People suspected of being infected by the A (H1N1) virus at a quarantine section in Ho Chi Minh City

A swine flu field hospital set up in Ho Chi Minh City has proven immensely effective and the model should be applied citywide, the local health department said on Monday.

Dr. Tran Huu Nghia, director of District 3 Hospital, said the model could help lessen overcrowding at major hospitals.

Since the field hospital was erected late last month, the 11-room medical center has treated 200 patients, including those admitted in critical condition due to diabetes, obesity and other ailments that worsen swine flu’s affect on people.

The HCMC Department of Health has asked the Ministry of Health for permission to set up similar field hospitals in other districts.

Also on Monday, Vietnam recorded another 214 H1N1 cases, increasing the country’s tally to 8,605 since May, the health ministry said.

Fourteen of the country’s swine flu patients have died while 6,763 have been released from hospitals after full recoveries. The others are still under treatment.

Source: Thanh Nien, Tuoi Tre, VNA