Speaking with Lao Động, Mr. Hoàng Quốc Cường - Director of the Department of Health in Cần Thơ - informed that currently, Cần Thơ Cancer Hospital only has 1 Cobalt radiation machine, which is insufficient to meet the treatment needs of the local population. Therefore, the department is cooperating with local authorities to seek approval for the investment of an additional radiation machine (located at facility 1 on Châu Văn Liêm Street, Tân An Ward).
Generally, the above proposal has been supported by the city's leadership and the People's Council of the city.
Regarding implementation, the Department of Health in Cần Thơ will closely cooperate with the Department of Planning and Investment of the city to soon submit the proposal, after which a project will be established and subsequently a procurement process will be conducted to purchase the new machine.
"If the procedures for submitting the proposal and the projects are approved, we will complete the task of investing in a radiation machine for the hospital by 2025 at the latest. However, after replacing the machine, the number of radiation machines will still be only 1, which is insufficient to meet the treatment needs of the people in the Mekong Delta region. Therefore, in the near future, it is not ruled out that cancer patients will still have to wait for radiation treatment" - Mr. Cường stated.
The Director of the Department of Health in Cần Thơ added that according to international standards for cancer treatment, over 1 million people should have 1 radiation machine, while in Vietnam, this standard has not yet been met.
It is known that each radiation machine costs approximately 13 billion VND.
Earlier, Lao Động Newspaper had published a series of articles on the overload of patients waiting for radiation treatment at Cần Thơ Cancer Hospital due to the hospital only having 1 radiation machine. According to Dr. Trần Thanh Phong, Chief of the II Specialty Department and Head of the Radiation Therapy Department of the hospital, the radiation machine has been outdated and has been in use for 14 years, operating at full capacity 24/7 and only treating approximately 75 patients per day. Meanwhile, the number of patients waiting in the Mekong Delta region has reached 300, peaking at 400 people.
