Low demand for medical examination and treatment
Lao Dong has reported on the situation of Lam Binh District General Hospital, Tuyen Quang Province, with an investment of nearly 165 billion VND and a scale of 100 beds. Although it has been completed, more than half of the items have been left unfinished for many years.
Through the sun and rain, many unused equipment and items have deteriorated and become damaged, causing people to question the effectiveness of investing hundreds of billions of dong while Lam Binh is still a poor district in Tuyen Quang province.
Talking to reporters, Mr. Vu Trong Thanh - Director of Lam Binh General Hospital said that in reality, the need for medical examination, treatment, and hospitalization of local people is not high.
"I only know that in 2013 - the time when the hospital was planned to be built - the Department of Health said that if the population situation was like this, the need for medical examination, treatment, and hospitalization would only be 20-30 patients/day," Mr. Thanh informed.
According to Mr. Thanh, at present, the population of the three neighboring communes is only about 10,000 people. On average, there are about 60 people coming to the clinic every day, and fewer people are hospitalized.
"People from other communes come to Chiem Hoa and Na Hang district hospitals for medical examination and treatment because it is close. If they have to transfer to another hospital, it is also convenient, so why would they come here?" Mr. Thanh explained.
When asked why the hospital was still built on a large scale despite the low demand for medical examination and treatment, Mr. Thanh said: "I don't know either, because throughout the process of surveying and assessing the demand for medical examination and treatment, to designing, constructing, and purchasing equipment, the hospital was not involved. We are just the beneficiary, and were not asked for opinions on this matter."
The party that wants to hand over, the party that refuses to accept
Lam Binh General Hospital was built in 2014. By 2020, 6 main buildings were completed but only 3 were put into use. The rest have not been accepted and have been left unused for many years.
Mr. Vu Trong Thanh - Director of Lam Binh General Hospital said that the Lam Binh District Construction Investment Project Management Board (representing the investor) continuously requested handover, but the actual status of the project has many damaged and degraded items.
According to Mr. Thanh, the hospital and the investor did not agree on many points, this was discussed in interdisciplinary meetings; the project did not meet the acceptance requirements from the environment and fire prevention and fighting but the hospital was still asked to accept it.
Explaining further the reason for not accepting the handover of 3 rows of houses and some items that are left empty, Mr. Thanh said that the damage has not been repaired, while the hospital has not been used for a single day, it will be very difficult to explain and request repairs later.
On December 23, speaking with Lao Dong Newspaper reporter, Mr. Vu Minh Quang - Deputy Director of Lam Binh District Construction Investment Project Management Board said that it is expected that by the end of December 2024, the project can be handed over to the hospital.
According to the Board leader, the funding for the project is not enough, so some other houses have not been built. Up to now, more than 127 billion VND has been disbursed.
Regarding the deterioration and damage of the unused buildings, Mr. Quang said: "In fact, since 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, these buildings have been used for isolation and treatment. Currently, the contractor is replacing and repairing damaged items and equipment."
