Some 5,200 health centers discharge “unprocessed” wastewater into environment

PSNews- Only 60% of the 13,000 health centers in the country has medical waste treatment facilities, meeting the required standards, and most of them are central- and provincial-level hospitals, said Ms. Nguyen Thi Lien Huong, Director of the Health Environment Management Department under the Ministry of Health.

It means that the remainder or some 5.200 facilities still discharge untreated or undertreated wastewater into the environment, , which is an urgent issue that needs to be addressed.

This situation originates a lack of budget, said Deputy Minister of Heath Nguyen Thanh Long. Currently, about 400 hospitals need investment in building or upgrading medical waste treatment systems.

Meanwhile, the hospitals that have been invested in the medical waste treatment system, also face both financial and technical difficulties to running, maintaining and upgrading their waste treatment systems. This again leads to inefficient operation and shortened life-span of the systems.

According to experts, it costs VND 1.5 billion to treat 100m3 of wastewater. Most of the hospitals of provincial- and district- level as well as specialized hospitals are funded by the State Budget; so if there is no specific regulation of investment for medical waste treatment, the situation is hard to be improved.

Against this backdrop, the Government has issued a policy to mobilize social financial sources for medical waste treatment. The Ministry of Health has been authorized by the Government to draw up a specific policy and mechanism on medical waste treatment to achieve the goal of medical waste treatment, and at the same time mobilize all social and economic sectors to participate in water treatment, solving capital problems.

By Duy Tien

Other News

Hanoi ready to implement Capital Law 2026, unlocking new development momentum

Hanoi ready to implement Capital Law 2026, unlocking new development momentum

The effectiveness of the Capital Law 2026 will be measured not by the number of legal documents issued but by tangible improvements in governance and public administration, better services for people and businesses, faster administrative procedures, stronger investment attraction and higher economic growth.

Vietnamese students earn honours at ROBOG Asia Cup 2026

Vietnamese students earn honours at ROBOG Asia Cup 2026

Three teams from Chu Van An Secondary School in Vietnam’s Thai Nguyen province have earned First Prize honours and advanced to the quarterfinals at the ROBOG Asia Cup 2026, a regional robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) competition for students held in Hong Kong, China.

Hanoi sets out new investment blueprint with century-long development vision

Hanoi sets out new investment blueprint with century-long development vision

As of early June, Hanoi had attracted 74.6 billion USD in foreign direct investment (FDI) through more than 9,250 valid projects. FDI inflows in the first six months were projected at 3.2 billion USD, surpassing the annual target by 116%, while nearly 16,000 new businesses were established in the first five months, up 34.4% year-on-year.

Vietnam promotes legal cooperation and rule of law at global forum

Vietnam promotes legal cooperation and rule of law at global forum

Vietnam’s development and international integration have gone hand in hand with the improvement of its legal system, the incorporation of international commitments into domestic legislation, and legal reforms aimed at fostering development, openness and global integration. The country regards international law as an essential instrument for building fair, mutually beneficial relations among nations.

Hanoi to hold investment promotion event on June 29

Hanoi to hold investment promotion event on June 29

At the event, Hanoi authorities plan to grant investment policy decisions and investment registration certificates to 20 exemplary projects in the fields of transportation infrastructure, industrial parks, urban development, social housing, environment, science and technology, and foreign investment attraction.

Hanoi's Red River urban area development draws widespread attention

Hanoi's Red River urban area development draws widespread attention

Located south of the Red River and extending from the historic inner city to newly developing areas in the south and the west, the central urban area along Red River’s right bank covers approximately 45,317 hectares and is projected to accommodate around 6.365 million residents by 2045 and 6.455 million by 2065.

Hanoi's Red River urban area development draws widespread attention

Hanoi's Red River urban area development draws widespread attention

Located south of the Red River and extending from the historic inner city to newly developing areas in the south and the west, the central urban area along Red River’s right bank covers approximately 45,317 hectares and is projected to accommodate around 6.365 million residents by 2045 and 6.455 million by 2065.

Regional cooperation strengthened to combat cross-border drug crime

Regional cooperation strengthened to combat cross-border drug crime

Vietnam, China, Laos and Myanmar face common challenges as drug syndicates increasingly exploit the Mekong River, cross-border transport networks, e-commerce platforms, international logistics services, cyberspace and cryptocurrencies to organise drug transactions and smuggling operations.