Prioritize investment in healthcare

The 3-storey inpatient treatment building of Hai Phong Lung Hospital, built in 1974, has seriously degraded and the 3rd floor rooms cannot be used because of a leaky roof.

Great demand

According to the report of the Department of Health, in the period of 2021 - 2025, the city allocated more than 4,177 billion VND of public investment capital to implement 21 projects to renovate, build and purchase essential and modern equipment for the health sector. However, this amount only accounts for about 2.8% of the city's total public investment capital in the period of 2021 - 2025. The budget allocation for the health sector is still limited. For example, in the two years of 2024 and 2025, the health sector was only allocated nearly 215 billion VND, while according to Project 4668 of the People's Committee of Hai Phong City (formerly) on "Improving the capacity of public health in Hai Phong City by 2030", it is necessary to arrange more than 900 billion VND. In the west of the city, in 2025, Hai Duong province (formerly) has only allocated a budget of 30.5 billion VND for the health sector, while according to Project 3315 on "Strengthening facilities and equipment at public health units at the provincial level in the period 2025 - 2030" of the province, 117 billion VND is needed.

Therefore, the physical conditions of many medical facilities have not been improved. Deputy Director of the Department of Health Tran Quoc Trinh said that through review, it is expected that by 2030, the city will have about 35.8% of medical facilities that ensure conditions for medical examination and treatment activities. About 64.2% of the remaining facilities are in a state of disrepair and need to be repaired, maintained or invested in new construction.

The city currently has 468 medical facilities, but 180 are degraded and need repair and maintenance (accounting for 38.5%); 76 are seriously degraded and no longer usable and need to be rebuilt (accounting for 16.2%) and 59 are still missing, have not been built and need additional investment (accounting for 12.6%). For example, at Hai Phong Lung Hospital, there are 14 facilities, but 7 of them are treatment, examination, testing, administration, medical waste treatment areas... are seriously degraded. Director of Hai Phong Lung Hospital Vu Ngoc Truong said that the 7 facilities were all built in 1974. Due to long-term use, the walls are peeling, the doors are broken, the roof is leaking, and especially the 3rd floor of the building cannot be used to treat inpatients.

For hospitals, regional medical centers and commune, ward and special zone medical stations, there are a total of 1,077 works, but 444 works are degraded and need to be repaired and maintained (accounting for 41.2%); 175 works are seriously degraded and need to be rebuilt (accounting for 16.3%) and 58 works are currently lacking and need to be newly built (accounting for 5.4%).

The clinic at Hai Phong Lung Hospital is seriously degraded.

In order of priority

In July 2025, the City Party Committee issued Conclusion No. 07 after the 2nd City Party Committee Conference, term 2025 - 2030, in which the City People's Committee Party Committee was assigned to review, propose adjustments, amendments and supplements to the content of the Project "Improving the capacity of the public health system of Hai Phong city to 2030", suitable after the merger. Deputy Director of the Department of Health Tran Quoc Trinh said that the department is currently completing the Project "Improving the capacity of the health system of Hai Phong city" to implement Resolution No. 72-NQ/TW of the Politburo.

To meet the infrastructure needs of public medical facilities in the city, the Department of Health plans to propose that the city allocate more than VND 29,000 billion in the period 2026 - 2030, of which public investment capital is more than VND 15,800 billion to prioritize the implementation of 21 projects. In addition, the department proposes to invest more than VND 1,192 billion from regular expenditure sources to renovate, repair, upgrade, and build new items in projects that have been invested in and built from the city level to grassroots health care.

Comparing the need for public investment capital, according to the proposal of the Department of Health, the capital source for the period 2026 - 2030 increased nearly 4 times compared to the period 2021 - 2025. At the meeting of the Economic - Budget Committee of the City People's Council with the Department of Health on the implementation of public investment projects for the period 2021 - 2025 and the need for public investment for the period 2026 - 2030, Comrade Bui Duc Quang, Vice Chairman of the City People's Council emphasized: In the context that the city must pay attention to investing in many other sectors and fields, but also needs to prioritize investment in the field of public health care. Therefore, the Department of Health needs to carefully research and clearly define development goals in accordance with the direction of Resolution 45 and Resolution 72 of the Politburo; Resolution of the City Party Congress for the term 2025 - 2030. The Department of Health needs to improve its capacity and closely coordinate with the Department of Construction and the Department of Finance to develop detailed plans, develop lists and public investment norms for works and projects in order of priority. On that basis, the City People's Council will advise competent authorities to issue a medium-term public investment plan for 2026 - 2030 in the right direction, promoting high efficiency, so that Hai Phong becomes the medical center of the Northern coastal region.

BUI HUONG

Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/uu-tien-dau-tu-cho-y-te-523340.html