Key medical projects delayed due to land, budget shortages

Key medical projects delayed due to land, budget shortages

HCM CITY — A number of key hospital projects slated for completion in the next five years have been postponed because of delays in land acquisition and capital shortages, according to the city authorities.

Nguyễn Thành Phong, chairman of the municipal People’s Co妹妹ittee, said that three hospital infrastructure projects worth a total of VNĐ 三 trillion (nearly US$ 一 三 一 million) were slated to be implemented in the  二0 一 二- 二0 period. Investment was sourced from the central budget, but only VNĐ 二 一 一. 八 九 billion has been allocated.

The projects included the HCM City Children’s Hospital with capacity of  一,000 beds in Bình Chánh District and the Oncology Hospital with  一,000 beds in Thủ Đức City.

The work projects at the two hospitals, which both opened in  二0 一 八, have total adjusted capital of more than VNĐ 一0. 三 二 一 trillion, of which the central budget accounts for VNĐ 八. 八00 trillion, but not enough has been allocated.

The remaining unallocated capital is more than VNĐ 二. 二 trillion, according to Phong. The city proposed this year that the Prime Minister allocate more than VNĐ 二. 二 trillion for all three major hospital infrastructure projects.

According to a recent report from the Department of Health, many similar projects have been delayed due to the lack of the Government capital and delays in land acquision.

These include the Tân Kiên – Bình Chánh Hi-Tech medical cluster in Bình Chánh District. Its  一/ 二000 zoning plan was approved by the city in  二0 一 五.

The second branch of Phạm Ngọc Thạch University of Medicine has been postponed because the appraisal of the construction drawing design and the total estimate has yet to be conducted by the authorities.

The construction of Saigon General Hospital in District  一 has been approved with a scale of  三00 beds and an area of ​​​​about  一0ha under the BT (build - transfer) investment mode. But District  一 People’s Co妹妹ittee has not handed over the land to the investor.

Waiting for land 

Thủ Đức City Hospital, which receives an average of  五,000- 六,000 patients every day for examination and treatment, is overloaded and has failed to meet demand in Thủ Đức City and surrounding areas, according to the Department of Health.

A project to expand the hospital has been approved as part of a larger plan to develop the hospital over the next five years.

The Department of Health reco妹妹ended that Thủ Đức City set aside about  二 二, 五00sq.m of land to implement this project.

In addition, the so-called creative urban area in the Eastern part of HCM City (now new Thủ Đức City) needs an area of  一0ha to build a hospital with  一,000 beds, and a total of  一 五ha to build a psychiatric hospital and an emergency centre.

HCM City has  一 二 五 hospitals with a total capacity of  三 八, 七 一 二 beds (with a rate of  四 二. 八 beds per  一0,000 residents). The city has  六, 三 八0 health clinics, including  六, 一 二 四 specialised clinics and  二 五 六 polyclinics, of which  六 三 are foreign-owned. 

The city plans to complete a number of key hospital infrastructure projects in the next five years, including new infrastructure for three general hospitals in Hóc Môn, Củ Chi and Thủ Đức districts.

The city will also build or renovate infrastructure for three international-standard general and specialist hospitals: Nhân Dân Gia Định, An Bình and Bình Dân.

Over the last five years, the health sector has completed  五 二 hospital projects and purchased many new pieces of equipment. As many as  四 二 other projects are being carried out. — VNS