Unprecedented scenes at HCM City’s largest hospital
Cho Ray Hospital, the largest hospital in HCM City, has only two operating CT machines, while a number of other medical devices have stopped working, without being repaired. Patients have had to go to other hospitals for scans.
Dr Nguyen Tri Thuc, Cho Ray Hospital director, told VietNamNet that the hospital lacks medical equipment as damaged equipment has not been repaired. This has seriously affected the quality of medical care.
The hospital has only two working CT machines out of its five scanners. Pictured is an emergency CT scanner placed behind the Emergency Ward for the convenience of the patient.
Because the machine is broken, medical workers had to move the patient a long way to the Oncology Center to use the other CT machine.
Normally, this area was crowded with patients waiting for scans but now the area is very open. Outpatients who are assigned to perform imaging tests will be transferred to another hospital for scan services.
The reason that many CT broken machines are not repaired because the hospital does not have enough 3 quotations according to regulations to carry out bidding for procurement as well as repair and maintenance.
Meanwhile, the Ultrasound Ward has 35 ultrasound machines, but 10 machines are also damaged. These machines are over 15 years old, have been repaired many times and are now completely damaged and cannot be replaced.
Normally, after 3 years, the machines will be maintained, and after 5 years, they will be re-evaluated by a council. In fact, 1/3 of the ultrasound machines of Cho Ray Hospital have stopped working.
Every day, the hospital give ultrasound scanning services for about 2,000 to 3,000 patients. As many scanners have failed from working, doctors and nurses have to work from 6am in the morning and do not have a lunch break.
Mr. Nguyen Thanh Binh from Bac Lieu is undergoing cancer treatment at the hospital. As the radiotherapy machines of Cho Ray Hospital are broken down, somedays he had to wait until 9pm for his turn.
Cho Ray Hospital currently has only 2 accelerators in operation. The remaining two machines have stopped working since Q2/2022. This is the first hospital in Vietnam equipped with a system of accelerated radiation therapy machines, worth more than 30 billion VND.
Every day, more than 400 cancer patients are indicated for radiation therapy, but the hospital can serve about two-thirds of the patients.
Staff of the Radiation Therapy Ward have to work from 6 am to 1-2 am the next day. About 100 patients are scheduled for radiation therapy but they have to wait two to three weeks for their turn. The similar situation also occurs at the Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital.
Cho Ray hospital has only two active CT machines, so patients have to wait for their turn. Many patients are transferred to other hospitals for CT scan, MRI... causing many difficulties and inconveniences.
Cho Ray Hospital receives an average of 6,000 outpatient visits per day. However, at this time, the number is just over 2,000 outpatients.
The deserted scene is very strange for Cho Ray Hospital. Many patients feel worried because the country's largest hospital is in the current difficult situation.
Linh Giao-The Son