Solving difficulties for the Department of Nephrology and Urology, Central Highlands General Hospital

Currently, the facilities and equipment for specialized surgery at the Department of Nephrology and Urology, Central Highlands General Hospital are seriously degraded. Therefore, promoting coordination between hospitals, sharing resources and providing professional support is considered a key solution to improve treatment effectiveness for patients.

The Central Highlands General Hospital is a class I hospital, responsible for the technical expertise of Dak Lak province and receiving patients from many neighboring provinces. The Department of Nephrology and Urology under the Surgery Department is responsible for examining, diagnosing and treating diseases related to the urinary and reproductive systems, and performing specialized surgeries and procedures.

However, the laser lithotripsy machine has been damaged for a long time and cannot be used; the urological endoscope, optic prostatectomy, stone crushing set and semi-rigid ureteroscope are all damaged or have to be borrowed from other departments. This situation makes it impossible to perform many advanced techniques such as retrograde endoscopic laser lithotripsy or high-energy prostate surgery routinely, limiting the ability to meet the increasing treatment needs of the people.

The delegation of Binh Dan Hospital exchanged professional knowledge with staff and doctors of the Central Highlands General Hospital.

In addition, the list of specialized techniques of the Department of Nephrology - Urology has only approved 81/226 technical services according to Circular No. 23/2024/TT-BYT, lacking 59 technical procedures, leading to difficulties in fully implementing the techniques allowed for a class I hospital.

In addition, although professional coordination and technical support from upper-level hospitals have been implemented, they are not regular and lack systematicity. Geographical factors make activities such as sending experts, consulting, and transferring techniques encounter many obstacles. Therefore, advanced and specialized techniques in the field of Urology in Dak Lak are still limited.

Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Thinh, Deputy Director of the Central Highlands General Hospital, added that currently, out of 10 doctors in the Department of Nephrology and Urology, only 1 doctor has been trained as a urologist, while 1 general surgeon has completed the urology certificates but has not yet been updated in his practice license. This causes legal difficulties, making the department not qualified to sign medical records and officially handle cases of patients with urological diseases.

Faced with these difficulties, the Department of Health has requested Binh Dan Hospital, the leading unit in the field of Urology in the Southern region, to coordinate in providing professional support, training and technology transfer. The goal is to improve treatment capacity, ensure patient safety and strengthen people's trust in the local health system.

Deputy Director of the Dak Lak Department of Health Nguyen Huu Vu Quang said that one of the key solutions is to implement the cooperation agreement signed between the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health and the Dak Lak Department of Health on April 3, 2024. Accordingly, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health will provide professional, technical and many other support to the Dak Lak health sector, with the participation of 15 end-line hospitals, including Binh Dan Hospital.

Associate Professor - Doctor - Physician Tran Vinh Hung, Director of Binh Dan Hospital (third from right) directly examines patients being treated at the Department of Nephrology - Urology of the Central Highlands General Hospital.

On that basis, recently, the leaders of Binh Dan Hospital and the working group surveyed the overall activities of the Central Highlands General Hospital, especially the actual situation at the Department of Nephrology and Urology.

In the coming time, Dak Lak Department of Health will continue to coordinate with Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health and end-line hospitals to strengthen comprehensive support in terms of expertise, technology, and hospital management. Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health will organize working groups to conduct comprehensive assessments, thereby having appropriate solutions to direct the line, helping hospitals consolidate their reputation, improve the quality of medical examination and treatment, and develop in depth.

Source: https://baodaklak.vn/xa-hoi/202510/go-kho-cho-khoa-ngoai-than-tiet-nieu-benh-vien-da-khoa-vung-tay-nguyen-1ed1857/