Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính attends the inauguration ceremony for the second branch of the Oncology Hospital in HCM City on April 15. VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

Many hospital infrastructure projects in HCM City have come on stream this year as part of the city’s efforts to reduce patient overloading at major public hospitals and its strategy to develop into a centre for specialised medicine in the Southeast Asian region.

The second branch of the Oncology Hospital in Thủ Đức City is one of the key projects that the city inaugurated with the presence of Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính on April 15 to celebrate the 48th National Reunification Day on April 30.

The hospital's construction began in 2016.

The 1,000-bed hospital, with a cost of more than VNĐ5.8 trillion (US$248.2 million) from the State budget, is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, 16 operation rooms and a helipad on the roof.

The hospital has received 1,700-2,000 patients a day since it opened earlier this year.

It was expected to reduce the prolonged overload of patients at the Oncology Hospital in Bình Thạnh District where two or three patients had to share a bed, said Dr Đặng Huy Quốc Thịnh, deputy director of the hospital.

With new facilities and high-tech equipment, the time taken for examinations and treatment was reduced significantly and the quality of examinations and treatment was improved, Thịnh said.

It strives to become a specialised medical centre for cancer treatment in Southeast Asia, according to Thịnh.

Another hospital project that was also completed recently is two new buildings at the HCM City Traditional Medicine Hospital.

On February 19, the hospital inaugurated the two buildings and its Department of Pharmacy received the WHO Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) certificate granted by the Ministry of Health.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Dr Đỗ Tân Khoa, director of the hospital, said it was the first traditional medicine hospital in the country that complied with WHO GMP qualifications.

The tier-one hospital with 300 beds had invested to upgrade its infrastructure, facilities and medical human resources to comply with the qualifications, Khoa said.

The HCM City Traditional Medicine Hospital’s Department of Pharmacy complies with the WHO Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) qualifications. — VNS Photo Thu Hằng

The People’s Hospital 115 put into use a high-tech diagnostic and treatment building which was inaugurated on February 15 after six years of construction.

The ten-storey building with investment of more than VNĐ332 billion ($14.2 million) from the State budget has a rooftop helipad.

Phan Văn Báu, director of the hospital, said it was assigned by the city’s People’s Committee to jointly implement a plan on developing the city into a centre of medical care for the Southeast Asian region.

The hospital would provide emergency deliveries by air, making it possible for patients across the country to receive timely treatment at the hospital, he added.

The Hospital for Rehabilitation - Occupational Diseases on April 25 opened a new building with an investment of nearly VNĐ354 billion ($15.1 million) from the State budget.

The inauguration of the HCM City Forensic Centre was slated to take place on April 28.

The Thủ Đức Regional General Hospital with an investment of VNĐ1.9 trillion ($81.5 million), the Hóc Môn General Hospital with an investment of VNĐ1.8 trillion ($77.2 million), and the Củ Chi General Hospital with an investment of VNĐ1.8 trillion are expected to go on line by the end of this year.

SE Asia medical hub

As part of the city’s plan to promote the city as a centre of high quality medical care in the region, a project to develop a hi-tech screening and diagnostic centre is being developed under the public-private partnership model to offer high-quality health check services and examinations, according to Tăng Chí Thượng, director of the city’s Department of Health.

The project would help reduce the number of patients travelling abroad for medical examinations and treatment and develop the city’s medical tourism in coordination with travel agencies, Thượng said.

Treatment methods using traditional medicine combined with modern one would be used at many specific departments.

The health sector would put proper investment in infrastructure, medical equipment and the application of advanced techniques, he said.

It would also improve the capacity of disease control and prevention, strengthen grassroots healthcare networks and intensive care and ambulance services, and foster digital transformation and development of medical human resources, he added. — VNS

Modern equipment for diagnostic imaging at Oncology Hospital 2 inaugurated on April 15. VNA/VNS Photo Đinh Hằng