Filling the manpower gap for healthcare in mountainous regions.

With the support of Bach Mai Hospital and other central-level hospitals, healthcare in mountainous areas has gradually mastered techniques, reduced the number of patients needing to be transferred to higher-level hospitals, and increased the chances of survival thanks to good emergency and resuscitation care.

Reduce patient referrals.

Mr. Tong Thanh Hai, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Lai Chau Provincial People's Committee, said that to date, the health coverage rate in the province has reached 96.5%, exceeding the target set by the Government. The decrease in the referral rate shows that confidence in local healthcare and the capacity of local healthcare have been enhanced, with the support of central doctors through on-the-job training and online consultations.

According to Bui Tien Thanh, Director of the Lai Chau Provincial Department of Health, with the support of central-level hospitals, the rate of patients in the province needing to be transferred to higher-level hospitals decreased by 10% compared to 2023.

Bach Mai Hospital will support Lai Chau Provincial General Hospital in improving its professional capacity.

Sharing about the treatment results with techniques implemented locally, representatives from Lai Chau Provincial General Hospital said that the hospital has successfully treated and provided emergency care for difficult and critical cases. In particular, the Pediatrics Department of the Provincial General Hospital applied continuous hemodialysis to treat a 10-month-old child with sepsis and acute kidney injury.

Another case involved a 2-year-old patient who had drowned and was in critical condition. Doctors from the Intensive Care Unit, Pediatrics Department, and emergency nurses promptly performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation, placed the child on a ventilator, and safely transferred him to a central hospital. Thanks to effective treatment, after 5 days of treatment at the higher-level hospital, the child's condition stabilized, and he was discharged.

However, hospitals in mountainous areas still face significant staffing gaps and shortages of medical equipment. Dr. Dao Viet Hung, Director of Lai Chau Provincial General Hospital, reported that many medical devices are outdated, having been in use for 15-20 years. Much of the hospital's equipment has reached the end of its depreciation period and is practically obsolete; the criteria for human resources and technical expertise are not yet met to be upgraded to a Grade 1 hospital.

"About 50% of referred patients are in cardiovascular and oncology, so we hope to be able to perform cardiovascular interventions to provide timely treatment for patients. For cancer, the first priority is developing techniques for early diagnosis, followed by palliative care and chemotherapy. Radiotherapy is a later stage because it requires expensive equipment and more specialized personnel trained in a narrow specialty. We hope for investment in equipment, initially for cardiovascular and oncology. We need more funding for repairs and the purchase of basic equipment," Dr. Hung expressed.

If the situation is difficult at the provincial level, it's even more challenging at the district level. Dr. Vu Van Quang, Director of the Than Uyen District Health Center - a unit located 100 km from the provincial hospital - shared that more than 10% of the center's staff still only have intermediate-level qualifications. Currently, there are 7 doctors studying resuscitation in a 9-month course and several doctors studying pediatric emergency medicine at Bach Mai Hospital.

"Without support, further education is extremely difficult. A three-month course costs around 50-60 million VND. Even with 50% support, I still have to pay 30 million VND myself, which is very difficult compared to an average income of less than 10 million VND per month, because besides tuition fees, there are other expenses such as rent, food, etc.," Dr. Quang explained.

Similarly, Dr. Hoang Viet Bac, Director of the Sin Ho District Medical Center, said that despite their best efforts, the unit is facing difficulties in funding training. Dr. Bac hopes that the Provincial Department of Finance will consider providing financial support so that doctors and medical staff can pursue advanced training.

"We also hope to receive more equipment and attention to our facilities because both hospitals under the district health center are in a state of disrepair," Dr. Bac reflected.

Without medical attention, even the rich cannot save anyone.

Based on surveys and practical medical support in the province, Associate Professor Vu Van Giap, Deputy Director of Bach Mai Hospital, assessed that Lai Chau Provincial General Hospital is among the few provincial hospitals that are still classified as a Grade 2 hospital. He noted the need to improve human resources and equipment, and upgrade the hospital's classification so that people can benefit from quality medical services right in their hometown.

"Due to difficult transportation, it takes 4-5 hours to travel from the provincial hospital to the furthest district hospital (the same time it takes to fly from Vietnam to Australia). If a patient with myocardial ischemia needs emergency treatment in the province, the critical time for treatment is lost. Similarly, it takes 5-6 hours to transport a stroke patient from Lai Chau to Bach Mai Hospital. Therefore, Lai Chau needs to focus on expanding basic medical techniques to the district level to provide timely treatment for patients," Mr. Giap noted, while affirming that Bach Mai Hospital will assist Lai Chau in neonatal emergency care, cardiovascular emergencies, and some of the most basic specialties. In addition, training will be provided to the Lai Chau healthcare system to ensure a sufficient local workforce.

In response to the increasing trend of cardiovascular diseases in the community, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Hoai, Director of the Cardiovascular Institute at Bach Mai Hospital, stated that the hospital will provide support in cardiovascular emergency care. Bach Mai Hospital will also implement and support cardiovascular disease screening, such as screening and managing hypertension, and managing heart failure patients.

"Cardiovascular intervention at provincial hospitals is extremely urgent, because if patients have to go to central hospitals for emergency treatment, it's too far and they'll miss the golden hour. Therefore, the province needs to prioritize investment to implement this," Ms. Hoai stated.

Further sharing his thoughts, Associate Professor and Doctor Vu Van Giap pointed out that in emergency cases of stroke and cardiovascular disease, time is of the brain, time is of the heart, time is of life. Therefore, he suggested that Lai Chau needs to prioritize investment in healthcare.

"Even those with financial means in the provinces cannot save their lives if they experience cardiovascular events such as heart attacks or strokes, because transportation from Lai Chau to Hanoi is not quick enough. And this can happen to anyone, even young people," Dr. Giap warned.

He also stated that, along with personnel training, Bach Mai Hospital will rotate doctors to head several treatment departments at Lai Chau Provincial General Hospital; strengthen the number of Bach Mai doctors working at the provincial hospital, supporting the provincial hospital to meet the human resource requirements for upgrading; and first and foremost, improve the quality of medical treatment and care for the people of the province.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/lap-khoang-trong-nhan-luc-cho-y-te-vung-cao-185250109194505028.htm