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Abandoned public offices in Hanoi highlight wasted resources amid shortfall of public infrastructure

Abandoned public offices in Hanoi highlight wasted resources amid shortfall of public infrastructure

Friday, November 29, 2024, 15:40 GMT+7
Abandoned public offices in Hanoi highlight wasted resources amid shortfall of public infrastructure
Located at 32 To Hieu Street in Ha Dong District, Hanoi, the former headquarters of the People’s Procuracy has been abandoned for years. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre

While Hanoi grapples with a severe shortage of schools and hospitals, several former state-run agency headquarters in Ha Dong District have been left deserted for years, indicating a waste of valuable public resources.

A Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper correspondent on Thursday visited To Hieu Street in Ha Dong, where certain government buildings have remained unused for 17 years.

Located at 32 To Hieu, the former headquarters of the People’s Procuracy remains locked behind rusted gates.

The building is in a state of disrepair, with large sections of walls peeling and ample plants.

The rusty gates remain locked. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre

The rusty gates remain locked at the former headquarters of the People’s Procuracy in Ha Dong District, Hanoi. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre

“This is such a waste,” Loi, a local, said of the building, adding that it should be repurposed for public use.

The building’s interior is in a state of disrepair. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre

The former headquarters of the People’s Procuracy in Ha Dong District, Hanoi is in a state of disrepair. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre

The building’s interior is in a state of disrepair. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre

The former headquarters of the People’s Procuracy in Ha Dong District, Hanoi is in a state of disrepair. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre

The building’s interior is in a state of disrepair. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre

The former headquarters of the People’s Procuracy in Ha Dong District, Hanoi is in a state of disrepair. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre

Nearby, the former Ha Tay Provincial Radio and Television Station also stands vacant, with its three-story structure severely deteriorating.

Cracks have appeared all along the walls, while the ground floor now serves as storage for discarded signs from a neighboring bank.

The former Ha Tay Provincial Radio and Television Station also stands vacant, with its three-story structure suffering severe deterioration. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre

The former Ha Tay Provincial Radio and Television Station also stands vacant in Ha Dong District, Hanoi, with its three-story structure suffering severe deterioration. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre

Inside the building, wild plants and grass have grown unchecked from the lobby to the third-floor balcony. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre

Inside the former Ha Tay Provincial Radio and Television Station in Ha Dong District, Hanoi, wild plants and grass have grown unchecked from the lobby to the third-floor balcony. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre

Inside the building, wild plants and grass have grown unchecked from the lobby to the third-floor balcony. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre

Inside the former Ha Tay Provincial Radio and Television Station in Ha Dong District, Hanoi, wild plants and grass have grown unchecked from the lobby to the third-floor balcony. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre

Inside the building, wild plants and grass have grown unchecked from the lobby to the third-floor balcony. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre

Inside the former Ha Tay Provincial Radio and Television Station in Ha Dong District, Hanoi, wild plants and grass have grown unchecked from the lobby to the third-floor balcony. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre

At 55 To Hieu, another abandoned facility -- formerly the headquarters of the Statistical Data Collection and Information Technology Application Department under the General Statistics Office -- is also in a run-down state.

Located at 55 To Hieu Street in Ha Dong District, Hanoi, this neglected building, once a state-run office, is overshadowed by surrounding modern houses and lush greenery. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre

Located at 55 To Hieu Street in Ha Dong District, Hanoi, this neglected building, once a state-run office, is overshadowed by surrounding modern houses and lush greenery. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre

Both the exterior and interior of the building at 55 To Hieu Street are in poor condition, appearing rundown despite its location on a busy street. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre

Both the exterior and interior of the building at 55 To Hieu Street in Ha Dong District, Hanoi are in poor condition, appearing run-down despite its location on a busy street. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre

Both the exterior and interior of the building at 55 To Hieu Street are in poor condition, appearing rundown despite its location on a busy street. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre

Both the exterior and interior of the building at 55 To Hieu Street in Ha Dong District, Hanoi are in poor condition, appearing run-down despite its location on a busy street. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre

Both the exterior and interior of the building at 55 To Hieu Street are in poor condition, appearing rundown despite its location on a busy street. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre

Both the exterior and interior of the building at 55 To Hieu Street in Ha Dong District, Hanoi are in poor condition, appearing run-down despite its location on a busy street. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre

Similarly, at 5 Nguyen Trai Street, the old Department of Science and Technology office is partially vacated, with its windows shattered and the front yard now serving as an informal marketplace for flower vendors.

At 5 Nguyen Trai Street in Ha Dong District, Hanoi, the abandoned office, formerly the headquarters of the Hanoi Department of Science and Technology, has become a makeshift market space for flower vendors. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre

At 5 Nguyen Trai Street in Ha Dong District, Hanoi, the abandoned office, formerly the headquarters of the Hanoi Department of Science and Technology, has become a makeshift marketplace for flower vendors. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre

The building’s glass panes shattered. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre

The building’s glass panes shattered. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre

At 29 To Hieu, the former Ha Dong State Treasury building remains shuttered.

At 29 To Hieu, the former Ha Dong State Treasury building remains shuttered. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre

At 29 To Hieu, the former Ha Dong State Treasury building remains shuttered. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre

At 29 To Hieu, the former Ha Dong State Treasury building remains shuttered. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre

At 29 To Hieu, the former Ha Dong State Treasury building remains shuttered. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre

At 29 To Hieu, the former Ha Dong State Treasury building remains shuttered. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre

At 29 To Hieu, the former Ha Dong State Treasury building remains shuttered. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre

At 29 To Hieu, the former Ha Dong State Treasury building remains shuttered. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre

At 29 To Hieu, the former Ha Dong State Treasury building remains shuttered. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre

Speaking to Tuoi Tre the same day, a local official said that management and repurposing of these sites fall under the jurisdiction of the Hanoi People’s Committee.

In September, the Ha Dong administration issued an official dispatch, urging relevant agencies to assess and propose solutions for these neglected properties.

The dispatch highlighted that these sites were originally reserved for administrative use prior to Ha Tay Province being merged into Hanoi in 2008.

However, ineffective management has led to significant waste.

The district has initiated a review and reallocation of these properties to prevent further waste of public assets.

Properties identified as surplus will be reported to higher authorities for reassignment or repurposing, following legal guidelines to ensure their effective use for the community.

In recent years, the Vietnamese capital has experienced a severe shortage of schools and hospitals, especially in newly-developed urban areas and inner-city districts.

Rapid population growth, inadequate planning, and delayed implementation of social infrastructure projects were said to have presented multiple challenges for the city’s education and healthcare sectors.

Hanoi recorded a sharp rise in the number of sixth-grade students in the 2023-24 academic year at188,429, marking an increase of 38,519 from a year earlier.

To satisfy this demand, the capital requires 1,315 additional classrooms, according to Tap Chi Cong San (Communist Magazine).

In Hoang Mai District, which has the largest population in the city with more than 700,000, it adds around 4,000 new students annually, leading to a current shortfall of 43 schools, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

VOV reported that Hanoi currently has nearly 23,000 hospital beds and needs over 4,000 more.

This dearth is a key factor contributing to the localized bed capacity crisis at Thanh Nhan Hospital and several other hospitals across Hanoi.

VOV added that the lack of hospital beds is even more severe at central-level hospitals.

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Hong Ngan - Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre News

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