Urban gardens put treatment within reach

[okarol]

Urban gardens put treatment within reach

(13-07-2008)

A groundbreaking organic horticulture programme has enabled poor patients to pay for otherwise unaffordable life-saving dialysis. Khanh Van reports.

Life for poor people who require dialysis treatment is a daily struggle, but some patients who live in the makeshift houses in Phuong Mai ward near Bach Mai Hospital have found a way to make life easier.

Selling organic vegetables has provided a lifeline for many patients who can not afford dialysis treatment. 53-year-old Tran Van Tang, who lives in Phuong Mai ward, gets hemodialysis treatment at Bach Mai Hospital three times per week. Tang has been coming to the hospital for the past four years, and the treatment costs him VND2 million (US$120) per month.

Before receiving assistance from the Ha Noi Agricultural Promotion Centre, Tang could not afford treatment and was too weak to do most types of work.

The centre’s programme helps patients with treatment whose costs often amount to a small fortune. Tang now sells a kilogramme of organic vegetables for VND30,000, a life-saving source of money after he sold all of his assets to pay for earlier treatment.

The job is also better suited to patients who require dialysis treatment, as it’s less labour intensive than other jobs such as gathering used bottles for recycling or working as a street vendor.

"During the first few years I was too weak to work," says Tang. "But now, my health has improved and I always try to do anything I can to earn some money to cover my treatment fees, accommodation and food costs."

The Ha Noi Agricultural Promotion Centre’s programme taught Tang how to grow sprout vegetables, which are easy to cultivate, in order to bring in a stable income. Each kilogramme of organic vegetables is sold for between VND 30,000-50,000.

"Organic vegetables, which are very nutritious, have become very popular due to the risk of food poisoning with other vegetables," says Tang. "There are days when we can’t meet the market’s demand."

Each day, Tang sells 3-4kg of vegetables, bringing in a revenue of between VND100,000-120,000.

"My first batch of organic vegetables sold out in one afternoon. I started my business one month ago and although there were times I have to throw away tens of kilogrammes of vegetables, which were spoilt by bad weather, I still find it a great thing to do," he says.

Simple work

According to Tang, planting organic vegetables is simple. All you need is some small spongy containers and vegetable seeds.

Organic vegetables can be planted on a balcony or in the corner of a small house. After being soaked for five hours, the vegetable seeds are placed on a piece of cloth, and should be watered 2-3 times a day. They can be cultivated after five to seven days.

Professor Nguyen Nguyen Khoi from Bach Mai Hospital’s Dialysis Department says patients with kidney problems who must undergo hemodialysis treatment are willing to do anything they can to earn money to pay for the treatment.

"Growing vegetable of course has no bad effects on their health, as it’slow-intensity job and doesn’t require much strength," says Khoi.

"The vegetables will grow well if they get enough water."

After his success with growing sprout vegetables under the guidance of the Ha Noi Agricultural Promotion Centre, Tang actively shared his experiences with other patients in an effort to help ease their financial burden.

He’s even set up a group of kidney patients so that they can help each other with their farming.

"Difficulties remain, as we are still seeking a stable market," says Tang. — VNS

http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/showarticle.php?num=04SUN130708