Cheap-price shelters for patients and family members inside hospitals

June 24, 2017 - 09:00

Hospitals in Hà Nội are in dire need of more accommodation for hospital patients and their relatives from outside the city.

A dormitory for patients and relatives at the Cancer Hospital in Hà Nội. — VNS/Photo Thanh Hai
Viet Nam News

HÀ NỘI — Hospitals in Hà Nội are in dire need of more accommodation for hospital patients and their relatives from outside the city.

Patients and health sector workers hope that in the future, patients will have one bed each and relatives who need it will have accommodation.

Big hospitals in the city, such as Bạch Mai Hospital, Việt Đức Hospital and Central Pediatrics Hospital every day receive thousands of patients from other provinces and cities.

Each patient often has one or several family members accompanying them.

It’s common to see patients’ relatives resting in corridors, under stairs, on benches or under shade of tress in hospitals’ premises in Việt Nam. They can’t afford to rent accommodation while their loved one gets treated, putting them at risk of theft.

Facing this situation, many hospitals have called for social investment to construct temporary accommodation for patients’ relatives.

Central Lung Hospital provided new accommodation for patients’ relatives at the beginning of this year. The accommodation area, located on the top floor of a newly-built six-storey building, has three rooms with a total 34 beds.

Phạm Thành Chung, a hospital social worker, said that the rental fee was VNĐ50,000/ per person per day, cheaper than renting houses in the areas around the hospital.

Also early this year, Hà Nội-based Cancer Hospital’s Unit No 3 in Tân Triều Commune, Thanh Trì District launched cheap accommodation for patients and their relatives, with financial support from several charitable organisations. 

The area, at a cost of VNĐ3.3 billion, includes three fully-equipment buildings behind the hospital. The hospital offers a bed free-of-charge to patients for their first month in the hospital then VNĐ15,000/ person per day afterwards. 

Nguyễn Văn Anh, a patient’s relative said the price was ten times cheaper than renting a house outside the hospital. However, demand was twice as high as the capacity of 240 beds.

The Hospital K in Hà Nội is also offering free accommodation for 300 patients.

Nguyễn Thị Dần, 60, a patient at Hospital K in Hà Nội said that she felt very good when she could avail of this facility.

“On the first day here, other patients and I enjoyed a sweet party,” she said.

Hồ Nguyên Hoàng, a patient suffering from esophagus cancer at Hospital K, said: “We do not have to spend on accommodation and can stay at a warm place. I hope all hospitals have shelters like this for poor patients to have a place to sleep when they are admitted to the hospital.”

Hospital K director Trần Văn Thuấn said that to meet the real demand of patients, following the urging of Health Minister Nguyễn Thị Kim Tiến, the hospital has co-operated with the Việt Nam CP Breeding Joint Stock Company to construct a residential complex for patients.

It will be offered for free at first, and later, the patients only have to pay VNĐ15,000 per person each day for electricity and water, he said.VNS  

 

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