Increased hospital fees, increased pressure on some hospitals

(Baonghean) - Implemented for more than a week now, the new hospital fees have received support from medical examination and treatment units and patients.

For patients with health insurance (subjects to this price increase), the price increase plus the district-level health insurance connection will help them have more conditions to choose medical facilities for examination and treatment as well as enjoy high-quality care services.

Mr. Le Cao Quy (60 years old), Hong Son ward (Vinh city) said: "If the service is not attentive, I will transfer to another hospital. Now patients have the right... We support the increase in hospital fees to pay the correct and full medical expenses. The important thing is that the quality of medical examination and treatment must be raised according to the price."

Patients come to register for medical examination and treatment at Nghe An Tuberculosis and Lung Hospital.

For hospitals, the new hospital fees help increase revenue, thereby creating conditions for hospitals to reinvest in improving the quality of medical examination and treatment by developing high-tech medical services. Following the direction of the Department of Health, up to now, hospitals in the province have publicly posted the new hospital fees for patients to know.

Along with the expansion of health insurance coverage, the pressure on prestigious district-level hospitals is the influx of patients while existing human resources and equipment cannot meet the demand in a timely manner; hospitals in mountainous and rural areas are left without patients...

At Vinh City General Hospital, the number of patients these days is 2.3 times higher than before; at Nghe An Tuberculosis and Lung Hospital, the number of patients has also increased dramatically. Doctor Dau Minh Quang - Director of Nghe An Tuberculosis and Lung Hospital said: These days the hospital is overloaded (with more than 400 patients / 245 beds). Through research, there are many patients from Ha Tinh also coming here for examination and treatment...

Many district hospitals have innovated in the direction of "Quality, safety and patient satisfaction" such as introducing many forms of strict discipline for cases of officers and employees violating the code of conduct, having inappropriate attitudes; implementing automatic number taking, electronic number boards when it is the patient's turn; implementing electronic prescription, connecting the network from the examination table to the pharmacy department, to avoid risks and mistakes in dispensing medicine...

Kidney transplant at Nghe An General Friendship Hospital.

At the provincial level, Nghe An General Hospital is also actively investing in human resources, machinery, and infrastructure to improve the quality of medical examination and treatment, meeting the needs of patients. Currently, the hospital has organized a spacious patient reception area with clear signs; arranged departments and patient reception rooms in a scientific and reasonable manner; provided with chairs, drinking water, and televisions for patients waiting for medical examination.

At the same time, the hospital has opened many training courses on communication skills and behavioral culture in communication situations with patients and their families for all staff, doctors, nurses and employees in the hospital.

Regional General Hospital medical staff instructing patients.

Doctor Bui Dinh Long - Director of the Department of Health affirmed: Along with increasing hospital fees, the health sector is continuing to focus on directing the innovation of service style and attitude, improving the skills of medical staff, deeply reforming administration and strongly applying information technology in the sector... Moving towards comprehensive innovation of medical thinking and products is to provide high-quality technical services to the people.

Thanh Chung