Each will have 200-3,000 beds and handle critical cases in the local region.

In Hanoi, the ICUs will be set up at Bach Mai Hospital, Viet Duc Hospital, National Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Hanoi Medical University Hospital, Central Lung Hospital, and 108 Military Central Hospital.

The central region will have one at the Hue Central Hospital in Thua Thien Hue Province.

In HCMC, they will be at 103 Military Hospital, Cho Ray Hospital, University Medical Center, besides a center with 3,000 beds scattered at the HCMC Oncology Hospital and several field hospitals.

In the Mekong Delta, Can Tho Central General Hospital will get one.

Besides, more than 30 other hospitals around the country will have 50-100 ICU beds and prepare to increase the number to 150-300 depending on the situation.

According to the ministry, the Delta variant is spreading very quickly and dangerously, and the number of severe cases and fatalities has increased sharply from the previous three waves.

"The healthcare system is facing an unprecedented challenge in its history."

The establishment of the ICUs is meant to avoid a situation in which critical patients have to be transferred to national hospitals in HCMC and Hanoi, overloading them and putting the patients’ lives in danger due to the time it could take.

The fourth wave began more than three months ago, and more than 137,000 cases have been recorded with more than 1,126 deaths.