Nguyen Thi Thin, a breast cancer patient, said she had to lie down on a bench in a hospital in Hanoi because there were no doctors available and no free beds. She was later allowed to share a bed with five other patients.

“I felt terrible. I could not rest comfortably. The room was stuffy and full whenever relatives and visitors came,” Thin said.

Thin, who lives in the northern province of Hung Yen, said that subsequently, she was treated successfully but she did not wish to relive the experience.

“At least I feel fine right now. I wish I lived in the city so I could go home after each treatment,” Thin said.

Nguyen Thi Thuy, from the northern midland province of Vinh Phuc, was also diagnosed with cancer.

“My disease is not a simple one. Anyone would prefer to go to a central hospital, with qualified doctors, although it costs time and money,” Thuy said.

Do Hung Kien, head of the Cancer (K) Hospital’s Planning Office, said the hospital now had 40 more beds, raising the total number to 500.

“The hospital can’t handle thousands of patients per day,” he said.
”A new cancer hospital with 1,000 beds has been built in Tan Trieu commune, Thanh Tri district, to provide a better service for patients. It is expected to open before 2012.”

Nguyen Quoc Trieu, Minister of Health, said patient overload had become a pressing issue for the health sector. However, he said, the number of patients sharing beds decreased by 15 percent last year.

According to the ministry, demand for beds in provincial hospitals was 115 percent, while in major cities it was 250 percent, or three patients per bed.

According to World Health Organization statistics, there are 18 hospital beds for every 10,000 people in Vietnam. In comparison, the figures for Japan are 140, the Republic of Korea 86 and Thailand 22.