"Against Covid-19, think about preventive medicine"

Dr. Nguyen Huu Tung

(President of Medical University Phan Chau Trinh)

Don't underestimate preventive medicine

Covid 19 epidemic broke out violently, in just 3 months, it swept all over the world. It upsets and collapses all the foundations of the whole world that the United Nations President of the United Nations exclaimed: “Covid 19 has collapsed all civilized values ​​of the human world. The whole world is working together to find ways to fight against an "invisible enemy". That invisible enemy is a virus, it is not a living microorganism, it is just a biological structure, which has unrivaled power. "

(And there is another invisible enemy to humanity, that is "lies, dishonesty", raised in man. Both of those enemies are invisible and have equal strength.)

Within 03 months, the whole world had to use many strategies from traditional to the most modern to fight back, but today the battle is still fierce and tragic. Strategy and tactics remain to prevent infection in the community and strengthen treatment modalities to reduce mortality.

Medical resources remain the regular force in this war. In terms of treatment, almost all modern medical equipment, modern hospitals, excellent doctors and professors, the most advanced medical system have been put into use. But then it is not easy for us to regain every single life from the disease caused by Covid-19.

On the other hand, the health sector has revived a strategy to prevent infection in the community, introduced or called on people to participate in the process of cutting off the source of transmission by means of social distancing, transaction loakdowm. community, instructing how to wash hands with soap, calling for face mask when going to the street, urging people to temporarily stay out of contact less than 2 meters. Many scientists in many countries have researched supporting techniques such as rapid testing to find the source of the pathogen and the introduction of isolation to implement quarantine in the first place. Some countries have thoroughly implemented this, seemingly effective, has helped the rate of infection not increase, preserve health to avoid infection.

In my opinion, the Modern Clinical Medicine monument of the world almost collapsed through this Covid-19 pandemic.

A simple infection prevention strategy that seems to be effective in the fight with this pandemic can reduce casualties in the fight. The strategy to prevent transmission is a science in preventive medicine or preventive medicine.

One symbolic event of the disregard for preventive medicine is that many contemporary western countries have inadequately distributed national resources, weakening the resources of preventive medicine, the concept of contingency. lackluster room, taking medical treatment as strength for your medicine background. Through the 19 Covid epidemic season that vision was almost bankrupt.

Through Covid-19, should the world regain consciousness to have reflections to restore the balance in the medical vision in a new post-pandemic world. The world's resources should be shared for a large community to enjoy, everyone can live and live in good health, live in a clean environment full of clean air, the atmosphere must be protected. In the pure, the world's resources cannot be concentrated solely on a privileged minority group.

Therefore, the medical education foundation in the future not only teaches and is addicted to academic research for therapeutic medicine, but must also focus on teaching and research in preventive medicine. Without good preventive medicine, medicine also fails and cannot be saved. Once her front line was like that, the rear could not hold it no matter how modern it was, it would only collapse.

In Vietnam, we have a saying "do not let water go to your feet to dance", which is reasonable.

Let us quickly apply this preventive philosophy to the future medical education reform in our country.

All are fragile

Currently the whole world is confused in dealing with the Covid -19 translation. There is not any social, economic, political or religious background of the world that is sustainable from the epidemic. From the most developed country, representing human civilization, to the poorest countries; from scientific researchers to eminent politicians, religious dignitaries; from the richest to the poor, from villains to cultists, artisans to artists, and to the medical warriors .. all and all fragile before the Covid-19 attack.

Many armed conflicts, conventional wars are also temporarily ceased. All headed towards the fight against Covid-19.

But the war of Covid-19 continued fiercely. The world began to separate itself. The world began to clear the harbor by itself. The world begins to separate itself, far from each other. I hope that the world is temporarily out of sight and out of sight as an anti-epidemic measure, not an opportunity to distract; For the more hearted the world will be isolated, the nations will be isolated from each other, so it will be the starting point for a new chance of battle, with new difficulties.

Experience from lockdown, from social distancing, so that people have a chance to look back and be more alert, have the opportunity to look back and start a new thought: more united, love each other and exchange experiences, each other kindness, sincerity. There is a new way to fight the epidemic in the future.

The world please unite

Through the war with the ongoing Covid-19 epidemic, we see that there are three types of tools created by humans, participating in disease prevention and control. When people are isolated or blocked, only Information Technology and Telecommunications remain to meet and exchange; for education and training; to share experiences together with epidemic control and prevention. And biotechnology researches means of rapid diagnosis, accurate diagnosis, contributing to finding out carriers of pathogens to isolate, for treatment as well as to research into vaccines to prevent epidemics spreading to those who have not yet had it. Information technology researchers use AI (artificial intelligence) to find out which drugs are treatable. AI is also like a detective in tracking where the carrier is currently, what is doing, how is interacting outside the social community, at any time, so it is easy to search for quarantine.

However, any advanced technology has two positive and negative sides of it. On the positive side, it permeates slowly, but is permanent. The negative side affects quickly and destroys. I wish the world to promote its positive side in a sincere and honest way, to serve the benefit of our people, for all humanity to live in peace, kindness and love. Respect the distinct and distinct cultural identity of each ethnic group in the world, do not ambition to infringe upon and possess. All countries must develop sustainably and jointly protect natural resources and the earth. Sustainable development is a shield and resistance to disease-generating pathogens.

Who is the conductor?

One of the WHO's (World Health Organization) key tasks is to warn as early as possible, learn the spread of a disease into an epidemic locally and globally, and prepare plans for countries prepare to deal. In addition, WHO is also the global health agency, giving guidance in disease prevention, early warning of the risk of an epidemic occurring in the near and far future, specific treatment guidance or universalization of a disease. epidemic diseases in the countries of the world, protect and improve human health and wellness.

Through the Covid-19 epidemic, we can see that the above functions of WHO have overshadowed, or demonstrated a lack of capacity in preventing disease spread. Is this because WHO is subjective, lack of scientific objectivity, or the lack of dynamism, lack of courage in implementing its functions. Perhaps both.

WHO should be an independent international health organization, must be protected by the United Nations, to speak up its objective and honest voice when the new phase of the epidemic was born. WHO must use the latest technologies to independently collect data, and emit a powerful voice in a prestigious international health organization, to save human health. Now that it is delayed, we only have to wonder: How should the world re-value WHO and the UN after Covid-19?

Dr. NGUYEN HUU TUNG.

VICE CHAIRMAN OF HCMC PRIVATE HEALTH CONFERENCE.

CHAIRMAN OF PHAN CHAU TRINH MEDICAL UNIVERSITY.