Workers and machinery operate at a construction site in HCM City’s Tân Kiên medical cluster. — Photo www.sggp.org.vn

HCM CITY — Right after the Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday, hundreds of engineers and workers have resumed work at construction sites, stepping up progress on major healthcare projects at the Tân Kiên medical cluster in HCM City.

At the site in Tân Nhựt Commune, dozens of machines and specialised vehicles operate continuously as around 100 engineers and labourers work in an atmosphere that is both urgent and disciplined.

Despite the festive season, the workforce has maintained a steady pace to ensure the projects remain on schedule.

The cluster includes three major facilities: a new blood bank under the HCM City Blood Transfusion and Hematology Hospital, the second facility of the 115 Emergency Center, and the city Laboratory Quality Control Centre.

Engineer Đặng Thái Sơn from Vietnam Urban Consulting Joint Stock Company (Vinacity), chief supervisor of the blood bank project, said he chose to stay at the site during Tết instead of returning to his hometown in Lâm Đồng Province.

Similarly, 40-year-old worker Hà Đức Tuấn from An Giang Province said he and his wife were happy to continue working at the construction site of the 115 Emergency Centre’s second facility.

“Both my wife and I, along with many others from northern and central provinces, stayed on site during Tết. Although we miss our families, the company’s material and spiritual support has motivated us to give our best,” Tuấn said.

Võ Đức Thanh, director of the city Civil and Industrial Construction Investment Project Management Board, said the three projects play a strategic role in enhancing the city’s emergency response and treatment capacity, contributing to the goal of turning the city into a healthcare hub of ASEAN.

The new blood bank, built with a total investment of VNĐ699.5 billion (US$27.9 million), covers 7,647sq.m with a total floor area of 25,894sq.m.

Designed to meet European GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) standards, it will have an initial capacity of 500,000 blood units per year, increasing to one million units by 2050 – four times the current capacity.

The second facility of the 115 Emergency Centre, with an investment of VNĐ299.9 billion ($12 million), spans 1,480sq.m of land and has 12,304sq.m of floor space.

It will serve 509 personnel and is set to become the city’s most modern out-of-hospital emergency command centre, integrating emergency call reception, ambulance dispatch, simulation training, maintenance, disinfection and supply management.

Meanwhile, the Laboratory Quality Control Centre, invested with VNĐ450 billion ($18 million), occupies 6,000sq.m of land with a total floor area of 19,869sq.m.

The centre will function as a key laboratory quality control unit in the southern region, enabling test result sharing, reducing costs for residents, conducting research on quality control samples, inspecting medical equipment and training specialised staff.

The project is expected to elevate Việt Nam’s laboratory quality control capacity to international standards.

Thanh expressed appreciation for the engineers and workers who worked through Tết to keep construction on track.

In 2026, the board plans to continue approving investment policies, technical designs and contractor selection procedures for a series of healthcare projects.

Among the 40 major initiatives underway is a 1,000-bed Trauma Hospital with an investment of more than VNĐ4.2 trillion ($168 million).

A 500-bed Practice Hospital, costing over VNĐ1.5 trillion ($60 million), is also being developed. Both projects are located in the Tân Kiên cluster.

In addition, a new patient service area valued at nearly VNĐ600 billion is planned, along with a Proton Radiotherapy Centre at the second facility of the Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital, which has an investment exceeding VNĐ2.4 trillion ($96 million).

Other projects include the upgrade of the Centre for Testing Drugs, Cosmetics and Food in Bến Thành Ward, with a total investment of VNĐ385 billion ($15.4 million).

The city is also implementing haemodialysis and intensive care systems and installing a 64-slice CT scanner in Dĩ An Ward at a cost of more than VNĐ42 billion ($1.68 million).

Meanwhile, the Thủ Dầu Một Regional Medical Centre is being built with a budget of VNĐ150 billion ($6 million). — VNS