The Ha Noi People's Committee has approved the spending of almost VND41 billion (US$2.09 million) to upgrade medical equipment at the Son Tay General Hospital.

It has also approved the spending of VND27 billion ($1.3 million) to upgrade the Mai Huong Daycare Psychiatric Hospital.

The spending for Son Tay General Hospital will be done between 2011 and 2012 and focus on buying modern emergency, recuperation, anaesthetics, blood transfusion and diagnostic equipment.

The committee has instructed the hospital management to list the medical equipment necessary for the upgrading and oversee the work.

The purpose of the work at the Mai Huong Daycare Psychiatric Hospital is to improve treatment quality for disadvantaged patients.

The hospital is required to work with relevant municipal departments to mobilise the money for the two-year project.

Its director, Dr Ngo Thanh Hoi, said work would start at the beginning of the next year with the capital drawn from the city's budget and government bonds.

"Much of our medical equipment and machines are obsolete and do not meet the patient requirements, especially as diseases have become more complex and difficult to cure," said Dr Hoi.

The money would help the hospital buy specialised equipment for the in-residence treatment of rural psychiatric patients.

Son Tay General Hospital has 400 beds, 27 wards and treats about 140,000 patients each year. The Mai Huong Daycare Hospital has just 50 beds.

Both are overcrowded with an average of three patients for each bed. — VNS

From Vietnamnews