Children’s Hospital No 2 in Sài Gòn Ward of HCM City is expected to be renovated from 2026 to 2029. — File photo from the hospital’s Facebook page

HCM CITY — The HCM City People’s Committee has approved a renovation project for Children’s Hospital No 2, the first medical facility in the city recognised as a municipal-level architectural and artistic relic.

The project aims to preserve the relic's artistic architectural values, ensure structural safety, and upgrade facilities to support medical care.

The renovation will focus on improving eight blocks and auxiliary and technical infrastructure.

It will also include the upgrade of equipment, including elevators, ventilation and air-conditioning systems, air filtration systems, medical gas systems, pneumatic tube systems, nurse call systems, medical isolation transformer cabinets, information technology systems, door access control systems, take-a-number systems, and solar-powered water systems.

The renovation is expected to begin this year, finish in 2029, and cost VNĐ360 billion (US$13.68 million), funded entirely by the state budget.

The municipal People's Committee appoints the Management Board for Transport, Civil, and Industrial Construction Investment Projects to implement the project.

The Children's Hospital No 2 is located at 14 Lý Tự Trọng Street in Sài Gòn Ward and covers an area of 8.6 hectares.

According to the hospital, the medical centre was established in 1862 and named Hôpital Militaire (Military Hospital). It was rebuilt at its current location in the late 1870s.

The hospital buildings were built of cast iron and brick on granite platforms, with wide exterior corridors to enhance natural ventilation and optimise sanitary conditions. All the construction materials were transported from France.

From 1905, the hospital, under the direction of Dr Charles Grall, offered treatment to military and civilian patients, including local people. It was named after Dr Grall in 1925.

In 1976, the hospital was transferred to the Government of Việt Nam, and two years later became the Children's Hospital No 2.

The centre is one of four leading pediatric hospitals in the country that oversees examination and treatment for children aged 0 to under 16 years.

The Children's Hospital No 2 was recognised as a municipal-level architectural and artistic relic in 2016. — VNS