Chợ Rẫy Hospital in HCM City is facing overcrowding. — Photo: sggp.org.vn

HCM CITY — The Department of Health of HCM City has proposed to the People's Committee of HCM City to build new hospitals to improve medical examination and treatment facilities and reduce overcrowding at some hospitals in the city. 

Many large hospitals in HCM City, such as People's Hospital 115, Gia Định Hospital, Oncology, Ear, Nose and Throat, Eye, and Lê Văn Thịnh, also recorded a sharp increase in patients coming to receive medical examinations and treatment for heart, geriatric, respiratory, infectious, pediatric and oncological diseases. Many infirmaries receive 1,200-10,000 patients per day, an increase of more than 30 per cent compared to before.

HCM City University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital was packed with people who were sitting and some others were standing; subsequently, the infirmary security team had to work hard to guide vehicles to drop off visitors for medical examination and treatment amid traffic congestion.

In addition, the medical examination and treatment areas and many departments of Chợ Rẫy Hospital were also crowded with patients. Many patients said that they had to leave their homes at 3am or 4am to get to the hospital for an examination. 

Due to the large number of patients, the hospital's doctors and nurses have to increase their working hours to 15-16 hours per day.

A doctor from Chợ Rẫy Hospital said that he had to work continuously from early morning to night, spending more time at the hospital than at home.

With the overload at the Orthopedic Hospital, the Department of Health proposed to allow the hospital to soon implement a construction project at the existing facility, and at the same time build a second facility.

In addition, the department also asked the People's Committee of Thủ Đức City to allocate land for a second psychiatric hospital. 

The city department will also focus on perfecting institutions and health policies, renovating health finance, developing preventive medicine and grassroots health, improving the quality of medical services at all levels, and ensuring the efficient operation of the medical examination and treatment system. — VNS