During a group discussion on 10/4, Minister of health Dao Hong Lan highlighted that stagnant projects represent one of the major challenges currently, requiring a comprehensive and transparent review and resolution in accordance with directives from the Politburo and the Government.

Regarding the two projects, Bach Mai facility 2 hospital and Viet Duc facility 2 friendship hospital, she stated that the construction is complete with high quality, "like a 5-star hotel," but the facilities have not been put into use after 10 years. This delay is attributed to issues with settlement procedures, fire prevention and fighting regulations, and other technical requirements.

According to the Minister, the biggest difficulty lies in violations that emerged right from the contract signing phase. If the requirement is solely not to legalize past violations, a definitive resolution becomes very challenging.

A significant bottleneck is fire prevention and fighting standards. The structures were built according to regulations from 10 years ago, but reassessment requires applying stricter new standards. This necessitates design adjustments, demolition of certain components, additional structural elements, and a re-execution of the approval process.

The verification process also encountered difficulties as many aspects no longer align with current regulations. Consequently, determining the settlement value and contractor payments cannot be finalized.

Minister of health Dao Hong Lan speaking at a group meeting. Photo: *Hoang Phong*.

The Minister of health believes that each stagnant project has its own specific issues. However, a common point is that resolution is impossible if efforts stop at inspection conclusions without a determined commitment to implementation.

The current approach acknowledges past violations and seeks appropriate solutions. Simultaneously, there is a need for mechanisms to protect officials involved in addressing the consequences, preventing hesitation due to fear of accountability when resolving outstanding issues. The handling must ensure public interest, prevent corruption and negativity, and be implemented promptly to avoid prolonged delays and resource waste.

The two projects, Bach Mai facility 2 hospital and Viet Duc facility 2 hospital, commenced in 2015. Each was designed with a capacity of 1,000 beds, aiming to alleviate the burden on existing facilities. Located in Ninh Binh province, construction ceased in early 2021, leading to deterioration of some components.

The Government Inspectorate, in late March, identified numerous violations across most stages, from bidding and construction to project management. These violations have delayed the project by over 7 years, causing significant waste, with indications of budget losses amounting to approximately 1,253 billion VND.

Son Ha