HÀ NỘI – Saint Paul General Hospital opened a high-tech medical centre that specialises in endoscopic surgery and digestive treatment for the people of Hà Nội and neighbouring areas on Sunday.

“The centre, worth over VND340 billion (US$15 million), has been built following European standards and will become the country’s leading endoscopic surgery facility, satisfying the increasing need for the examination and treatment of people in Hà Nội,” said Hà Nội health department director Nguyễn Khắc Hiền.

With support of international experts, the centre will also be a location for training for the city’s doctors.

The 2,800sq.m centre has 12 consulting rooms, 10 patient rooms with 45 beds, four endoscopic diagnostic rooms and three surgery rooms. It has been equipped with state of the art medical facilities, including latest Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and CT scanners, for early detection of cancers related to the digestive system, such as stomach and rectum cancers.

“The centre will help reduce congestion in hospitals, while meeting people’s increasing demands for high quality services and minimising the number of patients going abroad for cancer treatment,” said municipal People’s Committee Chairman Nguyễn Đức Chung at the event.

“The city has bought a digestive cancer screening system from Japan that can provide early detection of cancers of the digestive systems of people aged 40 and above. Patient will have to only pay VND63,000 ($2.8) for a service fee each time, compared to $15 in Singapore or $26 in the US,” said Chung.

“The 320 tests-per-hour system could help in the early detection and treatment of cancer for thousands of patients, as well as prevent cancer for 5,000-10,000 people each year in the city,” stressed Chung.

Chung said that Hà Nội would also put in place a programme on the transference of techniques on screening and treating diseases for babies in the womb from 26 weeks and above, as part of a cooperative medical programme that would be signed soon between the city and Paris, France.

Also, the city would soon invite experts from medical centres in Taiwan, India, and Singapore to work or teach doctors in Hà Nội. – VNS