Two northern hospitals costing $420 mln in limbo

By Ngoc Thanh, Pham Chieu   September 19, 2022 | 08:30 pm PT
Construction of the second facilities of the public Bach Mai and Viet Duc hospitals in Ha Nam Province has stopped though they are 90% complete.
Two northern hospitals costing $420 mln in limbo

The second facility of Hanoi's Bach Mai Hospital, whose construction began at the end of 2014, will have 1,000 beds and cost VND4.99 trillion (US$210.8 million). With six other floors and an area of 123,000 m2, the facility coming up 26 km from Nam Dinh City and 60 km from Hanoi will be capable of handling 5,000 patients a day.

Bach Mai is the largest public hospital in northern Vietnam.

Two northern hospitals costing $420 mln in limbo

It opened a portion in October 2018, and began receiving patients five months later. But in March 2020 the hospital announced it would stop receiving patients. In the absence of proper maintenance, weeds have taken over the hospital grounds.

Two northern hospitals costing $420 mln in limbo

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the hospital was used by the Ministry of Health as a treatment center and a national ICU. It was shut down again after the pandemic began to die down.

Two northern hospitals costing $420 mln in limbo

An official on the project management committee said the hospital is 90% complete.

Two northern hospitals costing $420 mln in limbo

The functional wings of the hospital are complete. They are right next to an area that will become a park with a detention basin.

Two northern hospitals costing $420 mln in limbo

Plants and weeds outside the security post, and there are signs of degradation in the structure.

Two northern hospitals costing $420 mln in limbo

An area behind the hospital earmarked for a funeral home.

Two northern hospitals costing $420 mln in limbo

Around 700 m away is the second facility of the Viet Duc Hospital, also yet to open and not maintained.

By 2018 the hospitals were partly completed, including their diagnosis wings, but then construction stopped and they were shut down.

According to the health ministry, the delay is due to several unforeseen reasons, especially with regard to investment and contracts.

Viet Duc's current facility in Hanoi is the largest surgical center of Vietnam.

Two northern hospitals costing $420 mln in limbo

Most of Viet Duc Hospital's grounds are covered by weeds.

It was built at roughly the same time as Bach Mai, will have 1,000 beds and cost VND4.968 trillion ($209.9 million). It will have a total area of over 125,000 m2 on nine other floors. Once it opens, it can handle around 3,500 patients in a day.

Two northern hospitals costing $420 mln in limbo

It too briefly opened its diagnosis wing in October 2018, but did not get any patient.

Two northern hospitals costing $420 mln in limbo

Signs of deterioration can be seen in several of its buildings.

Two northern hospitals costing $420 mln in limbo

A guard is stationed at a gate of Viet Duc Hospital.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh last Sunday ordered construction of the two hospitals to continue. The ministry has sought postponement of the completion to 2024.

 
 
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