The Can Tho Oncology Hospital project has been suspended since 2022. Since then, the hospital building has been exposed to the sun and rain, with weeds growing everywhere.
Can Tho Oncology Hospital construction site abandoned since 2022 - Photo: T.LUY
Information from the Can Tho City Department of Health on November 24 said that the construction project of Can Tho Oncology Hospital (scale of 500 beds) is currently in the process of investment adjustment procedures. The adjusted project implementation time is expected to be until the end of 2027.
According to Tuoi Tre Online reporters, in Can Tho City, there are two hospital projects that are behind schedule and have been delayed for many years. These projects are considered to be at risk of causing waste, causing public outrage.
That is the Can Tho Oncology Hospital project with an investment capital of more than 1,700 billion VND, planned to be the most modern hospital in the Mekong Delta, but has been "covered" since 2022 until now.
The remaining project, Can Tho Central Orthopedic Hospital (under the Ministry of Health), started construction in December 2020 and has only completed the main building so far, while the auxiliary works are still under construction and have not been put into use.
Can Tho Oncology Hospital project has a total initial investment of more than 1,700 billion VND (signed a capital agreement from ODA capital with the Hungarian Government and domestic counterpart), with a scale of 500 beds.
Construction started in October 2017 and is expected to be completed in 3 years (late 2020). The project is expected to become the largest and most modern oncology hospital in the Mekong Delta.
However, in 2022, the Can Tho Oncology Hospital project was temporarily suspended when it reached 82% of the construction volume and more than 16% of the equipment supply and installation. Since then, the hospital building has been exposed to the sun and rain, with weeds growing everywhere.
Inside the construction site of Can Tho Oncology Hospital - Photo: T.LUY
According to the Can Tho City Department of Health - the project investor - the reason the project had to temporarily stop construction was partly due to the construction contract and loan agreement expiring (in 2022).
During the construction process, the contractor consortium (Hungarian side) continuously proposed to adjust specialized medical equipment, construction materials and equipment other than those in the contract, not ensuring the 50% rate of goods originating from Hungary, so the contract and loan agreement had to be adjusted, greatly affecting the progress.
In addition, partly because the investor's representative does not have experience in implementing ODA capital projects, leading to lengthy delays in procedures...
Since then, there have been many meetings to resolve difficulties and obstacles, and in the meeting with voters in July 2024, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also directed the leaders of Can Tho City to discuss and seek opinions from central ministries and branches to carry out conversion procedures and restart the project with domestic capital, with the spirit of "no matter how difficult it is, it must be done".
Inside the abandoned Can Tho Oncology Hospital construction site - Photo: T.LUY
It is worth mentioning that while the new Can Tho Oncology Hospital project is unfinished, exposed to the sun and rain, causing waste, the Can Tho City Oncology Hospital (old facility) continues to operate in a state of degraded facilities and serious overload.
For many years, the old Oncology Hospital has been operating in a dilapidated, patchwork old building, while still having to receive a large number of patients from Can Tho City and neighboring provinces.
Currently, the hospital receives over 500 patients every day, with about 500 inpatient beds. Due to overcrowding, patients have to share 2-3 beds.
According to Mr. Hoang Quoc Cuong - Director of Can Tho Department of Health - the City People's Committee has sent a document to the Government, ministries and branches to remove equipment standards and adjust policies to restart the project.
The solution agreed upon by the Government and ministries and branches is to use domestic capital to continue implementing instead of ODA capital (disbursement period has expired); negotiate with the EPC general contractor on outstanding issues.
“After agreeing to use domestic capital sources, the capital structure is expected to be adjusted to ODA loans disbursed over VND 272 billion, central budget capital over VND 1,123 billion and counterpart capital of Can Tho City over VND 332 billion.
Regarding the project restart procedures, the Department of Health is currently reviewing and finalizing the adjusted pre-feasibility study report for comments from departments and branches and submitting it to the competent authority for approval. After the resolution of the People's Council is issued, the Department of Health will complete the dossier and submit it to the Can Tho City People's Committee to send to the Ministry of Planning and Investment for appraisal and adjustment of the investment policy," Mr. Cuong added.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/benh-vien-ung-buou-can-tho-moi-dang-xay-bi-bo-hoang-con-benh-vien-cu-lai-qua-tai-tram-trong-20241124102700862.htm
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