Delegates inaugurate the Ninh Bình campus of Bạch Mai General Hospital on June 26. — VNA/VNS Photo

NINH BÌNH — The Ministry of Health on Friday inaugurated Bạch Mai General Hospital's Ninh Bình campus, marking a significant milestone in the strategy to develop a high-quality medical system and ensure equitable healthcare for the public.

The new branch of the leading State-run hospital marks a significant milestone in the strategy to enhance tertiary-level healthcare capacity, minimise the burden on central-level hospitals and expand access to high-quality medical services for residents in the southern Red River Delta and north-central coast regions.

Bạch Mai Hospital's Ninh Bình campus has a capacity of 1,000 beds, 21 clinical departments and six paraclinical departments, all housed within modern facilities built on a site spanning over 20 hectares.

More than 1,300 staff members and employees have been deployed from the Hà Nội facility to operate the hospital, including many leading professors, experts and specialist physicians.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyễn Văn Thắng speaks at the launching event. — VNA/VNS Photo

Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyễn Văn Thắng remarked that this is a significant event for the healthcare sector, Bạch Mai Hospital and all medical facilities dedicated to caring for, protecting and improving people's health.

“Investing in healthcare is an investment in development; caring for the public's health is both a goal and a political task of paramount importance,” said Thắng.

The deputy PM said that hospitals must plan for the regular deployment and rotation of leading experts, organise inter-facility and remote consultations, and provide continuous emergency support and professional guidance to ensure the Ninh Bình facility does not face personnel shortages at critical times.

“Information systems must be seamlessly integrated so that patients do not need to be transferred to Hà Nội for medical procedures that can already be performed in Ninh Bình,” he said.

A view of the Ninh Bình campus of Bạch Mai General Hospital in Ninh BÌnh Province. — Photo Vietnamnet

Digital transformation must make things more convenient for the public, allow doctors to devote more time to patients and ensure greater transparency of processes and management efficiency, according to the deputy PM.

Thắng noted that a modern facility only realises its full value when supported by a workforce of commensurate calibre. The Ministry of Health and Bạch Mai Hospital must devise long-term strategies for the recruitment, training, deployment, remuneration and retention of personnel, while also addressing the working conditions, livelihoods and living environments of staff stationed at the Ninh Bình facility for the long term.

Associate Professor Dr Đào Xuân Cơ, director of Bạch Mai Hospital, spoke at the event. — Photo VOV1

At the ceremony, Associate Professor Dr Đào Xuân Cơ, director of Bạch Mai Hospital, committed to bringing Bạch Mai Hospital’s full professional expertise, quality standards, spirit of innovation and more than a century of tradition to the local community.

“Our ultimate goal is to ensure that people everywhere have the opportunity to access high-quality, timely and compassionate healthcare services," he said.

"We do not bring patients closer to Bạch Mai; instead, we bring Bạch Mai closer to the patients."

Minister of Health Đào Hồng Lan speaks at the event. — VNA/VNS Photo

Also at the ceremony, Minister of Health Đào Hồng Lan confirmed that the hospital's Ninh Bình facility would help enhance the region's healthcare capacity, alleviate the burden on central-level hospitals and enable local residents to access high-tech medical services in their own area.

In the next few years, Bạch Mai Hospital should complete all specialised departments as outlined in the initial development plan, increase bed occupancy rates and develop its systems for outpatient care, inpatient treatment, emergency services and intensive care, Lan said.

In addition, the hospital needs to establish specialised centres for emergency care, intensive care, cardiology, stroke care, oncology, surgery, diagnostic imaging and laboratory testing, along with the phased implementation of advanced medical techniques, according to a suitable roadmap.

Patients waiting to collect medication at the Ninh Bình campus of Bạch Mai Hospital. — VNS Photo Thanh Hải

Trần Văn Yêm, 71, from Ninh Bình's Hải Hưng Commune, was one of the first patients to arrive for a check-up.

"The Ninh Bình facility of Bạch Mai Hospital is very clean and modern. In my opinion, it is a medical facility that meets very high standards," Yêm said.

Yêm said that the opening of the Ninh Bình facility makes it easier for residents of neighbouring provinces to access central-level medical services, eliminating the need to travel long distances to the main campus in Hà Nội as was previously required.

The new facility is organised as a comprehensive multi-specialty centre, featuring the core strengths of Bạch Mai Hospital.

These include departments such as emergency and intensive care or toxicology; cardiology; stroke and neurology; respiratory medicine; gastroenterology and hepatology; nephrology and dialysis; endocrinology and diabetes; haematology and transfusion medicine; oncology and nuclear medicine; surgery; obstetrics and gynaecology; paediatrics; and advanced diagnostic imaging and testing services.

The hospital is equipped with state-of-the-art, integrated medical technology, including the NAEOTOM Alpha photon-counting CT, MRI, DSA, SPECT/CT, automated laboratory systems, molecular biology and genetic testing capabilities, and other advanced equipment. — VNS