Administrators of Long Xuyên City’s General Hospital, one of the biggest and most modern hospitals in the Mekong (Cửu Long) Delta region, are concerned about high operational costs coupled with low revenues just five months after the facility opened. — Photo baoangiang.vn

AN GIANG – Administrators of Long Xuyên City’s General Hospital, one of the biggest and most modern hospitals in the Mekong (Cửu Long) Delta region, are concerned about high operational costs coupled with low revenues just five months after the facility opened.

Electric and water fees and hospital services such as security guards and cleaners account for the high expenditures.

The hospital’s director, Nguyễn Thị Hạnh, said operational costs total VNĐ10 billion (US$446,000) per month, not including doctors’ and medical workers’ salaries, while total monthly revenue averages about VNĐ9 billion-10 billion. 

The VNĐ1.3 trillion (US$58 million) hospital, equipped with 600 patient beds and modern medical devices, became operational in April. It includes a main 10-storey building and other building blocks covering a 4.6ha area in Đông Xuyên Ward, An Giang Province.

The directorate is conscious to save electricity by shutting off air-conditioning systems and lights on higher floors and other areas, but monthly electricity bills still cost up to VNĐ1.5 billion, Hạnh said.

If the hospital uses electricity as normal, that monthly bill doubles, according to the hospital’s deputy director, Nguyễn Triết Hiển.

He said the hospital is equipped with an escalator, elevators and central air-conditioning system in each building block.

Additionally, the hospital has to spend VNĐ6 billion annually for cleaners and VNĐ2 billion for security guards.   

However, hospital administrators said the number of people who come for health check-ups and treatment is low for such a large-scale facility.

The hospital receives about 1,500 people for health check-ups and 800-900 patients for treatment per day.      

Từ Quốc Tuấn, director of An Giang Province’s Health Department, said that although the hospital was built and designed following international standards, it was still forced to apply the same medical fees for services as provincial-level health facilities. — VNS