HCM CITY — The University Medical Centre HCM City yesterday opened the Echocardiography Training Centre for training and research purposes in compliance with international standards.

The professional echocardiography training centre will offer early detection and diagnosis of cardiac diseases and develop professional skills for cardiologists at hospitals across the country.

As many as 200 people will be trained in basic and advanced echocardiography skills at the centre.

With at least 150 beds for cardiac in-patients, and 7,000 out-patient visits at the University Medical Centre, a huge patient data resource for education and training will be available, said Trương Quang Bình, deputy director of the hospital.

Echocardiography, which is non- invasive with no radiation, evaluates the structure and functions of cardiovascular precisely, Bình said.

With advanced ultrasound technology, it plays an important role in cardiology care, helping to detect cardiac disease, especially in the elderly and even in fetuses.

The physicians can make diagnostic decisions and therapy plans for medicine, intervention, and surgery based on echocardiology studies.

The hospital has signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Education Co-operation with Philips for a worldwide standardised echocardiography training programme.

Philips will help the centre archive echocardiography images and improve hospital network communications, with the aim of best-practice sharing among trainees. —VNS