The 1,000-bed City Children’s Hospital at Tân Kiên specialised medical cluster in HCM City's Bình Chánh District. —VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — Tân Kiên specialised medical cluster in HCM City will develop into a ‘medical campus’, the first of its kind in Việt Nam, according to the Department of Health.

Covering an area of ​​73 hectares in Bình Chánh District’s Tân Kiên Commune, its construction began in 2015.

The cluster is now home to Phạm Ngọc Thạch University of Medicine, specialised hospitals and large medical facilities in the first phase of a project covering more than 33 hectares.

The 1,000-bed City Children’s Hospital was put into operation in 2018. This hospital has developed into a centre for intensive pediatric treatment of cancer, intensive care and anti-poisoning, cardiothoracic surgery, emergency care, neurosurgery, neonatology and genetic diseases.

Another specialised hospital at the cluster is the second branch of the Blood Transfusion Haematology Hospital which was put into operation in 2021. The 300-bed hospital is the southern region’s top-tier hospital specialising in the diagnosis and treatment of blood diseases.

The second campus of Phạm Ngọc Thạch University of Medicine is expected to be inaugurated in 2025. The project includes lecture halls, administrative blocks, libraries and sports facilities.

The City Forensic Medicine Centre which was put into operation in 2023 is expected to develop into a specialised forensic research and training centre with state-of-the-art equipment and facilities.

The city is implementing site clearance work for the second phase of the project.

In the second phase of the project, there will be a new branch of the 115 Emergency Centre, a 1,000-bed Trauma and Orthopedics Hospital, a high-tech screening diagnostic centre, a blood bank and a practice hospital of the Phạm Ngọc Thạch University of Medicine.

With the ‘hospital-institute” model, Tân Kiên medical cluster not only helps improve the quality of health care but also creates an environment for advanced medical training and research, according to the department.

It is expected to reduce the overcrowding at major hospitals in the city and provide medical examination and treatment for people from the Cửu Long (Mekong Delta) provinces.

Public investment in health sector

HCM City will invest more than VNĐ69 trillion (US$2.7 billion) in the health sector in the medium-term public investment plans for 2021 – 2025 and 2026 – 2030 periods, according to its Department of Health.

In the 2021-2025 medium-term public investment plan, there are 42 projects with a total investment capital of VNĐ20.4 trillion ($800.2 million), of which, the municipal People’s Council approved 35 projects with investment capital of VNĐ13.7 trillion ($537.4 million).

The HCM City People’s Committee assigned the Department of Health to prepare pre-feasibility studies and investment proposals for the remaining seven projects in the 2021-2025 medium-term public investment plan and 65 projects with a total investment of VNĐ48.7 trillion ($1.9 billion) in the medium-term public investment plan for 2026 – 2030. —VNS