This morning, roads surrounding Thai Nguyen Central General Hospital remain submerged, with water reaching adult waist-level. Floodwaters have inundated the entire first floor, forcing the hospital to relocate patients to higher floors. A similar situation affects numerous other medical facilities, including the Department of Health, the Provincial Center for Disease Control (CDC), the Rehabilitation Hospital, and medical centers in Thai Nguyen City, Phu Binh, and Pho Yen.

At Thai Nguyen Central General Hospital, dozens of cancer patients have suspended radiation therapy due to damaged equipment. Ms. Thao, who is caring for her 49-year-old husband with pancreatic cancer, stated that the family was informed the radiation therapy machine was broken. Her husband must now wait, only taking painkillers daily. "All patients scheduled for radiation therapy here are experiencing delays," Ms. Thao said.

The hospital is isolated due to severe flooding on the first floor and surrounding roads. Photo: Patient provided.

Treatment for other patients is also impacted. Nguyen Van Phap, 41, was scheduled to have a ureteral JJ stent removed after kidney stone surgery but has waited two days due to a hospital power outage. He noted that the generator prioritizes emergency cases, leaving others to manage without power.

The lack of electricity, clean water, and food exacerbates difficulties for patients. "The hospital canteen is overwhelmed; we have to queue for a long time to buy a meal, and most outside shops are closed. Many patients without family support are going hungry," Mr. Phap shared.

At the Provincial Rehabilitation Hospital, where most patients are elderly and frail, the situation is equally urgent. Appeals for help circulated on social media, with many reporting "nothing to eat since yesterday due to deep floodwaters". After assessing the situation, the Department of Health promptly arranged for over 200 relief meals to be delivered to patients there.

Many patients appealed for help on social media. Photo: Screenshot.

A leader from the Thai Nguyen Department of Health stated that the health sector is currently focused on flood control and does not yet have a full damage assessment. However, preliminary statistics indicate that critical equipment, including CT scan machines, X-ray machines, ultrasound machines, and laboratory systems, have been damaged. Rescue efforts and patient support are proceeding urgently.

Heavy rainfall over the past two days caused the Cau River to rise rapidly, exceeding its 2024 historical peak by 1.09 meters, leading to severe flooding in Thai Nguyen. Most communes and wards of the former Thai Nguyen City are submerged, with many areas flooded up to the second floor, resulting in widespread isolation and complete power outages. By the morning of October 8, the floods had caused 4 deaths, left 2 people missing, and submerged over 5,000 homes, with 490 households requiring urgent evacuation. Floodwaters also threaten a 2.15-kilometer dike running through the city center. Local authorities, military forces, and residents are urgently reinforcing the dike to prevent overflow.

Thuy Quynh