Many doctors at Bach Mai Hospital want to close their clinics to provide after-hours examinations at the hospital.

On July 30, Associate Professor, Dr. Dao Xuan Co, Director of Bach Mai Hospital (Hanoi), said that this unit has completed preparations for after-hours medical examination and treatment (5-9pm daily), to be implemented from August 1.

Associate Professor Co said that up to now, 2,000 doctors, nurses, medical technicians, and staff have voluntarily registered (including more than 500 clinical and paraclinical doctors) to work overtime.

“Among them, many professors, associate professors, and doctors with high professional skills have registered to participate in medical examination and treatment. Many doctors are even willing to close their private clinics to work right at the hospital. The agency will have appropriate policies and mechanisms so that doctors can work with peace of mind. They are legally protected and have better benefits than the clinic,” said Mr. Co.

Accordingly, the hospital arranges a full range of specialized clinics during office hours such as endocrinology, gastroenterology, musculoskeletal, respiratory, neurology, nephrology, cardiology, infectious diseases, hematology, intensive care, obstetrics, pediatrics, ENT, dentistry, ophthalmology, etc. The clinics are located in building K1, convenient for people to travel for examination.

Associate Professor, Dr. Vu Van Giap, Deputy Director of Bach Mai Hospital, shared that there was a period after the Covid-19 pandemic when the unit was facing difficulties, many hospital staff had to deliver goods, make votive offerings, sell goods online... to balance life and work. The hospital's leadership was struggling to solve the problem of how hospital staff could increase their income with their own skills, and patients could stop waiting from midnight, waiting to be examined.

When the resolution on after-hours medical examination was passed, the hospital's Trade Union organized to collect opinions from cadres, civil servants, and workers, all of whom received support. In just 2 days, the entire hospital had 2,045 people register and send the list to the Personnel Organization Department to participate in after-hours medical examination and treatment.

Regarding medical examination and treatment costs, the hospital has sent a document to the Ministry of Health proposing that health insurance examination and treatment be available outside of working hours. Patients with a card or referral letter are eligible for health insurance. X-rays, blood tests, ultrasounds, etc. will have results after only 2 hours. People can have medical examinations outside of working hours, but the price of medical services will not change.

All revenue and expenditure from after-hours medical examinations are only used a small part for operating activities and machine depreciation, the rest increases income for workers.

Every day, Bach Mai Hospital receives between 6,000 and 8,000 outpatients and 4,000 inpatients. With a large number of patients, the hospital has had to organize overtime medical examination and treatment, and arrange appropriate testing and paraclinical activities.

Currently, 80% of patients coming to Bach Mai Hospital for examination and treatment are from remote provinces, only 20% live in the Hanoi area. There was a period from 2022 to the first half of 2023 when the hospital lacked equipment, so many patients had to rent rooms or lie around in the campus waiting to be examined and treated. Currently, every day from 2-3pm, test and X-ray results are returned for doctors to consult and prescribe medicine. That helps patients complete their examination within the day.