Can Tho (VNA) – The Can Tho city hospital for tuberculosis (TB) and pulmonary diseases, the most advanced of its kind in the Mekong Delta, was ready to serve patients on February 19.
The 200-bed hospital, including an 8-storey main building, covers an area of 5,600 square metres in Phuoc Thoi commune, O Mon district.
Construction began in September 2010 with an investment of 215.3 billion VND (9.6 million USD).
The new hospital is expected to enhance the healthcare network of Can Tho city and improve the quality of health services for not only the city’s residents but also people from the region, Director of the municipal Department of Health Bui Thi Le Phi said.
It will replace the 100-year-old hospital for TB and pulmonary diseases located in Bich Thuy district. The old hospital has only 50 beds and is in extremely bad condition.
According to the department, Vietnam ranks 12 th among 22 countries suffering the most from TB and 14 th out of 27 countries with a high incidence of multidrug-resistant TB despite the government’s efforts to fight against the disease.
The Mekong Delta spreads over an area of about 40,000 square kilometres with a population of 18 million, or 22 percent of the country’s population.-VNA