Patients lie on folding beds in the corridors of the largest cancer hospital in Central Vietnam.

(Dan Tri Newspaper) - The high demand for cancer examination and treatment has led to frequent overcrowding at Da Nang Oncology Hospital. Patients have to lie on makeshift beds arranged right in the wards, near the entrances, or in the corridors.

Da Nang Oncology Hospital is facing overcrowding as the demand for outpatient and inpatient treatment is rapidly increasing, leading to a shortage of hospital beds and affecting the quality of medical services.

Mr. Luu Dinh Quy, a patient undergoing skin cancer treatment in the Surgery Department 1, said that each of his treatment sessions lasts from one week to half a month. At the time of admission, due to a lack of available beds, he had to sleep on a folding bed.

Folding beds are placed in the hospital room for patients to lie on (Photo: Hoai Son).

"If the rooms are spacious, we put folding beds inside; if they're too cramped, we have to sleep in the hallway, which is very inconvenient for movement and daily life," Mr. Quy shared about the difficulties he and many other patients are facing.

Many patients undergoing long-term chemotherapy also confirmed that sleeping on makeshift beds was common during peak periods. Some departments had to utilize administrative offices and nursing rooms as treatment areas, but these rooms lacked restrooms.

Ms. Le Thi Chung (residing in Quang Ngai province) stated that she has to use the toilet in another room while receiving treatment, making daily life even more difficult at night when the other rooms are closed.

According to Mr. Nguyen Hoang Van (residing in Dien Ban ward, Da Nang city), the number of patients coming for examination and treatment at Da Nang Oncology Hospital is increasing, while the nature of cancer treatment requires long-term care, easily leading to overcrowding.

Mr. Van suggested that the hospital needs to be upgraded and expanded to meet the actual needs of patients.

Many patients have suggested that the city expand the hospital to meet the needs of patients (Photo: Hoai Son).

Representatives from Da Nang Oncology Hospital confirmed that overcrowding mainly occurs in the internal medicine and radiotherapy departments, which receive a large number of patients undergoing long-term chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments.

The approved number of hospital beds for this unit is currently 650, but in reality, the regular occupancy rate often exceeds this limit, reaching nearly 884 beds, putting significant pressure on infrastructure, personnel, and equipment.

The overcrowding is attributed to the increasingly high cancer detection rate thanks to people proactively seeking early screening, along with the hospital's implementation of many advanced techniques, making it a trusted treatment center. Besides patients from Da Nang, many people from neighboring provinces also choose to receive treatment here.

The hospital acknowledges that overcrowding is affecting the examination and treatment process. In the mornings and on the first days of the week, waiting times for examinations and diagnostic tests can be extended.

For chemotherapy and radiotherapy cases, hospitals must flexibly schedule appointments, sometimes incurring additional waiting times, but still prioritize ensuring continuous treatment for cases requiring early intervention.

Under pressure from the increasing number of cases, many advanced diagnostic and treatment systems have to operate at high frequency. The hospital continues to maintain regular maintenance and calibration to ensure safety.

Some beds had to be placed in the hallway due to overcrowding in the wards (Photo: Hoai Son).

Currently, Da Nang Oncology Hospital is focusing on optimizing the examination process, shortening administrative procedures; applying information technology in managing treatment schedules, enhancing remote consultations, and supplementing staff in departments with high patient volumes.

In the long term, the hospital has proposed investing in the construction of a new 400-bed inpatient treatment block, alongside upgrading and renovating the existing facility; supplementing human resources, promoting specialized training and technology transfer to lower-level facilities to better meet the healthcare needs of the people.

The Da Nang Oncology Hospital (formerly the Cancer Hospital), which began construction in 2009 on an area of ​​15 hectares, had a total cost of 1,500 billion VND from socialized funding, the city budget, and the government, and was established through the efforts of Mr. Nguyen Ba Thanh.

The hospital officially opened in early 2013, providing cancer treatment for the Central and Central Highlands regions, helping patients avoid traveling to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City.

In August 2015, Da Nang city established the Oncology Hospital by taking over the existing Cancer Hospital, becoming a provincial-level specialized public hospital.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/benh-nhan-nam-giuong-xep-hanh-lang-o-benh-vien-ung-thu-lon-nhat-mien-trung-20251216185042848.htm