Doctors at Cần Thơ Central General Hospital perform a kidney transplant. Photo courtesy of the hospital

CẦN THƠ — Cần Thơ Central General Hospital in the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta city of Cần Thơ is implementing an expansion project covering an additional 3.5ha during the 2025-2030 period to meet the increasing demand for medical examination and treatment in the region.

Nguyễn Minh Vũ, director of the hospital, said that the expansion aims to further develop various units and establish new departments such as pediatric-neonatal, pediatric heart surgery, and an endoscopy centre.

The focus will be on developing organ transplantation techniques, with the goal of performing its first liver transplant by 2026, he said.

As a final-level hospital under the Ministry of Health, Cần Thơ Central General Hospital receives 2,000-2,500 out-patient visits a day for examination and treatment.

The number of inpatient patients fluctuates between 1,500 and 1,700 a day.

Over the past 20 years, the hospital has achieved many accomplishments, elevating healthcare quality and healthcare services for locals in the Mekong Delta region to regional and international standards, Vũ said.

In 2017, the hospital established a modern and specialised cardiology centre, which is the most comprehensive in the region and plays a crucial role in emergency care and treatment of complex cardiovascular diseases, resulting in a significant reduction of the overcrowding at upper-level hospitals.

In 2020, its stroke department and orthopedic trauma centre were launched.

The hospital received the Platinum Standard certification from the World Stroke Organisation (WSO) three years after its stroke department was established.

In 2024, the hospital successfully performed its first kidney transplant in the Mekong Delta region, making it the 26th centre for human organ and tissue transplants in the country.

To date, a total of 10 kidney transplants have been successfully performed.

Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Điệp, deputy chairwoman of the municipal People’s Committee, said that Cần Thơ Central General Hospital is not only a final-level healthcare facility in the Mekong Delta but also a training institution, a reliable practice site, and a provider of highly specialised medical personnel for cities and provinces in the region.

She hoped that the hospital will continue to maintain its leading role in the regional and national healthcare system, proactively develop modern medicine, and continue training and retaining high-quality staff to grow further in this new era. —VNS