Hospital for children severely overloaded

The number of children at the National Hospital of Paediatrics in Ha Noi has increased sharply in the last two months, causing overloading and insufficiency of health-care equipment.

At present, the hospital receives nearly 1,700 patients, 30 per cent higher than its capacity.


Vice director of the hospital Le Thanh Hai said that three or four children had to share a bed at the hospital.

About 100-120 patients suffering from serious illness need breathing machines, while 200-250 need oxygen cylinders.

In the respiratory department, which has 14 doctors and 36 nurses, each doctor is in charging of 21 patients, half of whom need breathing machines.

The communicable diseases department, which is handling over 200 measles patients, is also facing a shortage of machines.

Hai said that the hospital has asked the Health Ministry to adjust patients among hospitals and also arrange funding for more health-care equipment.

He also urged for administrative simplification in health insurance to help relieve the burden on patients.