Having been attached to Yen Bai Transport Hospital for more than 15 years (Yen Bai ward, Lao Cai province), Ms. Nguyen Thi Hai Hoan (46 years old, accountant) sadly lifts large pieces of mud onto medical equipment after floods.
It seems that her efforts have not helped improve the situation because the hospital used to have dozens of staff, but now there are only 4 people on duty.
"From June 2024, the hospital has officially suspended medical examination and treatment activities. It is called on duty but in fact it is just to look after the building covered with mud after the flood," said Ms. Hoan.
According to Lao Dong's records in early November 2025, 4 buildings including the treatment area of the Department of Oriental Medicine, House A, House B and House C at Yen Bai Transport Hospital were muddy and flooded with mud.
In the campus of more than 1,200 m2, overgrown with grass; signs of fading color. From the hospital yard, a thick layer of mud was widespread after the recent flood. The outside is covered with dust, walls, doors and steps on the first floor.
Inside, the clinics were empty, with many medical equipment covered with tarpaulins and rust; ambulances and specialized vehicles had been idle for many years. Some rooms are also used by people as warehouses for goods and votive paper.
Through research, since 2021, the hospital has begun to fall into a situation of unpaid salaries for staff and employees.
In the following years, this medical facility only maintained moderation, mainly conducting periodic health check-ups for drivers and employers.
"There is almost no salary, only occasional income, we divide each of us into a few hundred thousand to more than a million VND", Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Thuan (48 years old, nurse) continued.
Ms. Thuan confided that she has been attached to Yen Bai Transport Hospital for 17 years. For many years, the hospital has owed wages and no income, most of the staff and employees have had to go out to work other jobs to make a living.
At this age, finding a new job is not easy. I just hope that the province and the health sector will soon pay attention, resolve the regime, and arrange work to suit the expertise to make life more stable," Ms. Thuan shared.
According to the Department of Transport Health, the handover of Yen Bai Transport Hospital is currently being carried out between the Ministry of Transport (now the Ministry of Construction) and the People's Committee of Yen Bai province (now Lao Cai province).
Regarding unpaid wages, late payment of social insurance and suspension of operations, the Department of Transport Health said that the cause came from the COVID-19 pandemic period, when the hospital's revenue decreased sharply, it was not supported with funding, leading to financial imbalance...
Meanwhile, Mr. Hoang Quoc Huong - Director of Lao Cai Provincial Department of Health - said that the incident lasted for many years, so many complicated problems arose.
Currently, departments, branches and sectors are advising the Provincial People's Committee to coordinate with the Ministry of Construction to find appropriate solutions.
