Ho Chi Minh City is piloting the use of a mobile application, called VHD (Vietnam Health Declaration), developed by military-run telecom group Viettel. The app will continuously monitor close contacts with COVID-19 patients or F1 cases, who are under home quarantine.
The mobile app will help Ho Chi Minh City, the country’s current largest COVID-19 hotspot, to keep track of the self-quarantined, make sure they strictly observe rules set by the Ministry of Health (MoH) and get updates about their health conditions. The app has been used by the MoH to monitor how individuals entering Vietnam from pandemic-hit regions observe quarantine rules on a trial basis.
According to a news report, it uses a combination of GPS signals and facial recognition technology to check the whereabouts of individuals under home quarantine and if they do not adhere to protocols or leave the house. The home-quarantined persons will be required to register their mobile number and a Face ID, along with the location of their houses. They are also required to make a health declaration three times a day and immediately report their health conditions, via the app, if they have fever, cough, or shortness of breath to receive support.
Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of Information and Telecommunications and Department of Health have worked together to assist Viettel in organising four virtual training sessions for medical staff in all districts and Thu Duc City. The pilot project, which started on 17 July and will end on 31 July, is running in at least one commune of each district and Thu Duc City before it is scaled up citywide.
Earlier this month, OpenGov Asia reported that researchers have built a digital map for mobile devices to guide Ho Chi Minh City residents to find what they need quickly, encouraging social distancing protocols. The technology has integrated nearly 3,000 locations selling essential items with useful information such as location, operating time, contact information, delivery method, and actual opening status.
The stores displayed on the digital map are also separated by wards/communes and districts, creating favourable conditions for people to shop quickly, and limiting their time on the street in the current period. The data of the digital map is taken from the list of essential items (food, masks, hand sanitisers, etc) supply points of the distribution system in Ho Chi Minh City and deployed by the authorities to the people.
Meanwhile, authorities in Hanoi have announced that residents aged 18-65 are required to register for COVID-19 vaccination via an electronic health record application for smartphones called the electronic health book. According to the Hanoi Municipal People’s Committee, the online registration for vaccination will help Hanoi stand ready to receive vaccines from MoH.
As per a press release, residents who do not use smartphones can make a paper registration and send it to their district People’s Committee to help update their registration in the electronic health book. People can download the application from the official website or the app stores.
The electronic health book is a mobile application for people directly connected to the personal health record system of the MoH. The app aims to help people know and manage their own health information and be proactive in disease prevention. The electronic health book, together with the COVID-19 vaccination certification and management system, are two platforms recommended by the National Technology Centre for COVID-19 Prevention and Control to support fast, safe, and convenient vaccinations while creating electronic health data for citizens.
