France-Vietnam medical federation a bright spot in cooperation: Official

Paris (VNA) - The France-Vietnam Medical Federation (Fédération Santé France Vietnam - FSFV) has become a bright spot in the movement of solidarity and friendship between the two nations, and a bridge connecting French, Vietnamese and French-Vietnamese doctors, said its President Dr. Dao Thu Ha.

In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency, Ha said the federation has consistently endeavored to promote cooperation between hospitals of Vietnam and France, organise exchange activities, support healthcare human resources training, and provide technical assistance and medical equipment for Vietnam, contributing to improving the quality of healthcare services at Vietnamese hospitals and medical facilities.

The initiative to set up the federation started in 2014 during the France – Vietnam Year, with the aim of gathering associations and individuals operating in the medical field who have cooperative relations with Vietnam.

The FSFV officially made its debut at a symposium held in Ho Chi Minh City in 2015, with the goal of creating a comprehensive strength in actions, sharing professional experience and information, as well as implementing cooperative projects between the two countries.

Ha, who is also President of the Imagerie, Médicale Sans Frontières (IMSF), said the FSFV has so far gathered around 25 associations, groups, investment funds, and medical equipment and pharmaceutical companies, as well as Vietnamese,  French, and French-Vietnamese individuals working in the medical field in France, who have cooperation with hospitals and medical facilities in Vietnam.

According to Ha, the federation has maintained the organisation of conferences to evaluate the medical cooperation between the two countries in recent times and map out action programmes in the future.

It kept a close watch on the developments of the COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam, and took all-out efforts to search for sources of aid regarding vaccines and medical equipment to join hands with Vietnam in the fight against the health crisis, she said, adding the FSFV shared its experience in preventing and controlling the pandemic with Vietnam as a multidisciplinary healthcare dialogue partner through online seminars.

Ha also revealed the federation’s plans in the coming time, saying that it has planned to organise specialised conferences in November in Hanoi in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations, and 10 years of the strategic partnership between the two nations.

Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang highly appreciated the contributions of French and French-Vietnamese doctors to promoting healthcare cooperation between the two countries, especially in human resources training and modernising the medical sector through providing technical assistance and donating medical equipment to hospitals and healthcare facilities in Vietnam.

He expressed his hope that the FSFV will continue to play its special role in training young generations who can continue and inherit the mission of promoting healthcare cooperation between the two nations./.