Doctor Đào Việt Phương (centre, first row), on behalf of the Bach Mai Hospital’s Stroke Centre, receives the certification from the World Stroke Organisation. — Photo courtesy of Bach Mai Hospital

HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội-based Bach Mai Hospital reported on Friday that it has become the first healthcare facility in Việt Nam to earn the “Advanced Stroke Centre” certification from the World Stroke Organisation (WSO).

The WSO presented the certificate, the highest tier in its stroke centre certification system, at the plenary session of the 18th World Stroke Congress (WSC 2026) in Seoul, the Republic of Korea, on Friday. It is valid from July 20, 2025, to July 19, 2028.

The ceremony marked the WSO’s 20th anniversary and drew thousands of experts, physicians and healthcare managers from more than 100 countries.

The Advanced Stroke Centre status requires meeting 68 criteria, including 37 mandatory and 31 recommended. Applicants must satisfy all mandatory criteria and at least 75 per cent of the recommended ones, a minimum of 61 of the 68 overall. The assessment spans the entire stroke care pathway, including infrastructure, equipment, specialised personnel, 24/7 emergency and reperfusion treatment, intensive care, rehabilitation and quality management.

A key requirement is showing stable, coordinated operations through a system of key performance indicators (KPIs). The hospital reviewed and standardised its clinical procedures, pulled together documentation from multiple departments, and collected and verified data on all stroke patients during the four-month assessment period.

The data had to be complete, accurate, consistent and traceable. After the hospital submitted its documentation through the WSO’s accreditation system, WSO-appointed experts conducted an on-site assessment to check the paperwork against actual practice. The WSO Certification Committee then reviewed the results before making the final accreditation decision.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Đào Xuân Cơ, the hospital’s director, said the certification reflects Bạch Mai’s highest professional commitment to the public. The certificate is an independently verified benchmark of the hospital’s comprehensive standardisation of stroke emergency and treatment procedures to the world’s most stringent standards.

Bach Mai runs diagnostic imaging and emergency laboratory services around the clock. CT, MRI, CT/MR angiography and emergency lab tests support rapid detection of lesions and timely treatment decisions.

Before the Seoul ceremony, Bạch Mai’s Stroke Centre presented the results of its operational standardisation at the Global Stroke Alliance conference in Hà Nội, attended by delegates from 17 countries and Ministry of Health representatives.

The WSO is also working with Vietnamese experts to build and expand a nationwide stroke emergency care network. — VNA/VNS