A modern operating room at the HCM City Children's Hospital. The British Government is supporting HCM City to become a medical innovation hub of the ASEAN region. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — The British Government is committed to sponsor GBP75,000 (US$88,865) to support HCM City in implementing its goal to become a medical innovation hub of the ASEAN region.

Emily Hamblin, the British consul general in HCM City, on October 25 led the UK diplomatic delegation in a meeting with the city’s Department of Health where they announced a plan to support the city to become a regional medical innovation hub.

Speaking at the meeting, she highly appreciated the city for having clear directions in medical development to serve people nationwide and patients from neighbouring countries.

The South Asian Research Centre under the UK Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the British Consulate General has funded the budget to support the city’s Health Department to conduct research on improving the quality of medical training to bring the quality of medical human resources of the city to global standards.

It also supports the city’s Health Department to expand research on disease models and community health needs.

With the sponsored budget, in the next six months, KPMG Vietnam and Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU) will support the city’s health sector to conduct research to build strategies, and cooperate on the two priority areas mentioned above.

They will also organise a study tour programme in the UK for medical experts from the city.

Emily Hamblin said the two countries have enjoyed 50 years of deep friendship and look to the future together, with healthcare being a key pillar in this relationship.

"I am happy to see the UK’s strong presence in the healthcare sector in Việt Nam, with great potential for the future," she said.

Tăng Chí Thượng, director of the city's Department of Health, said the city is very happy to cooperate with the UK, a country with a developed health industry.

“We are honored to learn a lot from the UK’s healthcare industry, from basic healthcare to specialised healthcare, digital transformation and many other activities,” he said.

The department will report to the municipal People’s Committee Chairman on the progress of cooperation with the UK in a positive direction, he added.

Many large British businesses and organisations have had medical support projects in the city, such as the infectious disease surveillance project between OUCRU and the city Centre for Disease Control, and the AstraZeneca Vietnam Medical Research and Development Centre project.

The city and Liverpool are working to establish a sister city relation in healthcare, connecting and developing closely together in this field. — VNS