Hanoi French Hospital (HFH) has recently inaugurated a new inpatient treatment building, marking a milestone in the development of the hospital.

Over the past 20 years, the international hospital has been a trustable location in terms of medical quality for patients from both Hà Nội and other northern provinces.

The new building, with its modern medical equipment and improved services, is expected to help HFH reach international standards level with the top hospitals in the region.

In addition to a team of professional and dedicated doctors and medical staff, the hospital offers examination, diagnosis and treatment services of all internal and external specialties with the best quality following international standards.

Việt Nam News talks to the general manager of HFH, Lucien Blanchard, about the upgraded facilities and services of the hospital

Can you please tell us about the upgraded facilities of HFH?

Welcome to the Hanoi French Hospital. Our Philosophy is the Tree of Life, the Cây Đời.

The Tree of Life is a well-known symbol in Vietnamese culture, dating back to ancient times. It represents the connections among the universe, inspiration, and development. Because of its seasonal growth and renewal, the Tree of Life has been a symbol of regeneration, hope and life.

We created the Tree of Life Hospital as a place that offers a warm welcome, calm environment and excellent care. Our approach to healthcare compliments our state of the art modern, western medical techniques with a healthy Zen way of living.

The Tree with its firm base symbolises that concept of roots and the element of ongoing interaction and relationship with our surroundings, while emphasising the inner strength holding the Tree together.

At our Tree of Life Hospital, we take the opportunity to guide patients through the process of healing and wellness. Our goal is to help patients understand the changes that are occurring as they move through various stages of life and provide them with ways to optimise their personal health. We look beyond medical care and emphasise a healthy lifestyle, proper nutrition together with mental and emotional balance. We strive to educate patients in a comfortable, compassionate and caring environment so they can take control of their health and wellness in partnership with our highly skilled and dedicated healthcare professionals.

The new upgraded facilities of our hospital include:

General Manager of HFH, Lucien Blanchard

New Operating Theatre

The HFH Operating Theatre (OT) is equipped with a highly efficient technical platform including the latest 4K technology 2D Full HD, and state of the art extra-corporeal lithotripter.

Our multidisciplinary Operating Theatres allow the realisation of conventional (open) surgery, minimally invasive surgery such as laparoscopic, also known as ‘keyhole surgery” and endoscopic procedures, neurosurgery, and microsurgery under navigation.

Our OT is divided into two areas:

The surgical area which comprises of six operating rooms; two hyperaseptic rooms for neurosurgery and orthopaedics, four aseptic rooms for conventional surgery including one reserved for caesarean-sections. The adjacent recovery room with 12 beds provides for the post-operative monitoring, care and pain management of our patients after surgery before they are transferred back to the ward or day care area.  A dedicated team of anaesthetists and highly skilled nurses ensures all our patients are provided with best quality care and made as comfortable as possible.

The second area of the OT is dedicated to endoscopy and comprises of three operating rooms, two of which are dedicated to digestive and pneumology endoscopy and the last one for cardiovascular interventions. The dedicated five-bed recovery room ensures immediate post-operative vital monitoring and patient care.

Our team of anaesthetists and nurses are available round the clock and seven days a week to provide for all levels of patient care before, during and after a surgery or procedure.

Our OT applies the highest hygiene and infection prevention and control standards which are based on the most stringent international protocols. The Central Sterilization Unit works to support our OT and ensures best international practices in sterilisation, disinfection and processing of all instruments and materials utilised during procedures maximising patient safety and protection and treatment outcomes, according to the highest international standards.

New Intensive Care Unit

The intensive care unit (ICU) at the French Hospital in Hà Nội provides the full range of critical medical services to patients with unstable medical conditions or life threatening illnesses. Our anaesthesiologists-intensivists work with a multidisciplinary care team in our ICU, supported by state of the art monitoring and life supporting equipment to improve patient survival rate, maximise quality of care delivered and ease suffering.

Our specialists are on duty 24 hours, seven days a week to provide the best care for our ICU patients together with our highly skilled ICU nursing team to deliver highest quality care medical care and to optimise patient outcomes.

The new inpatient treatment building of HFH is said to be operated according to international standards, can you clarify this?

Our front office staff are used to working with International Insurance and Assistance Companies. We act on your behalf with your authorisation for all medical services related to hospital transfers.

HFH works with selected leading Insurance Companies and has set up a worldwide direct billing/cashless system with 43 major medical insurers, seven assistance companies and one insurance management company. Whatever type of medical insurance you have - local or international – we can assist you.

HFH is actively increasing the number of insurance companies with which we have third party agreements. If your health insurer is not on the list HFH will be happy to contact them to work out an agreement.

Besides treatment, more patients also expect to experience the trendy hospital with hotel-like amenities and luxurious servics. Does Hanoi French Hospital orient the new inpatient building towards such trend?

HFH is offering services that combine both treatment and relaxation for patients as followed:

Our New Hospital

It has double rooms, junior rooms and executive rooms. All patient rooms are equipped with medical functions (oxygen, suction and light). Adjustable beds, bedside table, locker, TV, direct telephones are available for your convenience. En-suite bathroom with toilet, hand basin and shower are inclusive. A nurse bell is at the bedside as well as in the bathroom.

Amenities

• You will find a toiletry set in the bathroom with all necessary personal items such as soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrush, comb, towel, handkerchief and bathrobe.
• Free laundry for the first day of admission is offered.

Room Assignment

Room assignment depends on factors such as patient diagnosis, gender and medical care required. The hospital features single rooms, double occupancy rooms, junior suites and executive suites for your convenience. If patient requests a room change, the nursing staff will reassign rooms whenever possible.

All meals are included for in-patients plus refreshments every day. European, Asian and vegetarian dishes are available. Each day, a catering assistant will come to your room to take your order.

For medical reasons, we strongly request that no food or drinks are brought into the hospital.

Many patients have been satisfied with Diagnostic Imaging services of HFH, can you please tell me about this?

The Imaging Department of the HFH is committed to deliver best quality medical imaging services with regard to efficiency, hygiene, radiation safety as well as image quality.

The Department comprises of full time Specialists, French Visiting Specialists and external Consultants in the field of Interventional Radiology. The doctors work together, building on each other’s experience creating a team of specialists serving physicians in the diagnosis and treatment of disease.

We offer a wide range of diagnostic services, including:

Radiography

The most frequently used form of diagnostic medical imaging is X-rays. Patients undergo X-rays for diagnosis and periodic health check-ups.

The use of digital X-ray systems helps shorten processing time compared with conventional X-rays, minimising patient exposure to radiation. Protective lead aprons and shields are available to protect your body or body parts from exposure to radiation.

Ultrasonography

Ultrasound is a safe diagnostic procedure, causing no harm from radiation and no pain to the patient.

HFH Imaging Department utilises the latest generation of GE ultrasound machines, ensuring the best diagnostic image quality. The HD-live technology (4D ultrasound lightening technique), SRI (Speckle Reduction Imaging) and TUI (Tomographic Ultrasound Imaging) allows for a realistic experience of 3D and 4D images. Our ultrasound services include:

CT Scan and MRI

This is an imaging modality utilising ionising radiation to create quick and detailed images of the body. 

If a CT or MRI scanner is prescribed by your doctor, the radiologist/ technician will ask several questions about your health and will inform you about what you need to do in order to prepare for the examinations. In the event that contrast mediums have to be administered prior to the scan, you will be asked about history of allergy, kidney or liver disease, diabetes or whether you have had contrast mediums enhanced CT or MRI scan before. 

What are the supports and incentives for foreign patients during their treatment in HFH?

Foreign patients are treated the same way as local customers but we do have our personnel who can speak different languages and we do support them with all formalities, extensions of visa if necessary during hospitalisation, contacting insurance, helping for repatriation etc.