Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Viet Tien on April 4 asked other hospitalsin the capital city and neighbouring provinces to support the NationalHospital of Paediatrics, which has been strained by overcrowding overthe last two months.

Meeting with representatives of theHanoi Health Department and hospitals, he said the Department of MedicalExamination and Treatment Management should oversee patient transfersto other hospitals in a streamlined process.

He also recommended that parents of children with respiratory problems visit local hospitals first.

Themeeting followed media reports that the number of children admitted tothe National Paediatrics Hospital in Hanoi had increasedsharply in the last two months, causing overcrowding and a shortage ofmedical equipment for treatment.

From 1,400 in February,the number has shot up to almost 1,700 in April, 30 percent more thanthe hospital's capacity, the reports said.

They citeddeputy director of the hospital, Le Thanh Hai, as saying three or fourchildren were having to share a bed in certain wards.

About 100-120 patients suffering from serious illnesses need respiratory ventilators while 200-250 need oxygen cylinders.

Therespiratory department has 14 doctors and 36 nurses, meaning eachdoctor is in charge of 21 patients, half of whom need respiratoryventilators.

The communicable diseases department,meanwhile, is handling over 200 measles patients and facing a shortageof equipment, doctors said.

Among the patients, almost 500are from Hanoi , about 50 are from Bac Ninh province and others arefrom the neighbouring provinces of Hung Yen, Nam Dinh, Hai Duong, HaiPhong, Bac Giang, and central provinces of Thanh Hoa and Nghe An.

Haisaid that the hospital requested that the health ministry facilitatethe transfer of patients to other hospitals and arrange funding for moremedical equipment.

He also called for the simplification of health insurance procedures to relieve the burden on patients.