A working session between the Vietnamese Embassy in France and the France-Việt Nam Medical Federation. — VNA/VNS Photo Thu Hà

HÀ NỘI — The France-Việt Nam Medical Federation (Fédération Santé France Vietnam - FSFV) has become a bright spot in the movement of solidarity and friendship between the two nations.

It brings together around 25 associations, groups, investment funds, and medical equipment and pharmaceutical companies, as well as Vietnamese, French, and French-Vietnamese individuals working in the medical field in France, who have cooperation with hospitals and medical facilities in Việt Nam.

Dr Đào Thu Hà, head of Radiology, Henri-Mondor University Hospital in Créteil, president of the Society for Imaging Medicine Without Borders (IMSF), said the idea of establishing the federation was made in 2014 during the France – Việt Nam Year, with an aim to gather associations and individuals in the medical profession who have affection and relationship with Việt Nam.

The FSFV officially made its debut at a symposium held in HCM City in 2015, with the goal of creating a comprehensive strength in actions, sharing professional experience and information, as well as implementing cooperative projects between the two countries.

Dr Hà, who acts as FSFV president, along with Paediatrician Gildas Treguier, FSFV General Secretary, has made efforts to promote cooperation between Vietnamese and French hospitals, organised exchange activities, supported medical human resource training for Việt Nam, and improved expertise and professionalism for doctors, technical assistance and medical equipment.

The federation has also maintained the organisation of congresses, meetings on the occasion of the traditional Lunar New Year.

It has also welcomed students, trainees and doctors from Việt Nam, organised evaluation conferences on the health cooperation between the two countries in recent times and mapped out future action programmes.

“It kept a close watch on the developments of the COVID-19 pandemic in Việt Nam, and took all-out efforts to search for sources of aid regarding vaccines and medical equipment to join hands with Việt Nam in the fight against the health crisis,” Hà said.

“During the first wave of COVID-19, the Vietnamese Embassy in Paris called for our help to share our experience as a multidisciplinary health dialogue partner.

"At the peak of the pandemic in Việt Nam during the fall of 2021, 12 webinars were conducted, with the collaboration of experts in various health sectors including intensive care, respiratory care, geriatric.”

Those seminars were broadcasted live on the federation’s website and YouTube channel. The first COVID-19 seminar had 3,000 views, she said, speaking highly of support from her Vietnamese colleagues, especially those from the Vietnam Respiratory Society represented by Professor Ngô Quý Châu who contributed to the success of the webinars.

Revealing the federation’s future plans, Hà said it will organise specialised conferences in November in Hà Nội in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations, and 10 years of the strategic partnership between the two nations.

Vietnamese Ambassador to France Đinh Toàn Thắng highly appreciated the contributions of French and French-Vietnamese doctors to promoting healthcare cooperation between the two countries, especially in human resources training and modernising the medical sector through providing technical assistance and donating medical equipment to hospitals and healthcare facilities in Việt Nam.

He expressed his hope that the FSFV will continue to play its special role in training young generations who can continue and inherit the mission of promoting healthcare cooperation between the two nations. — VNS