Hanoi’s health sector has focused on developing high-quality medical techniques over the last five years and made significant progress.
The sector received technology from central-level and international hospitals to use in its own hospitals.
Saint Paul, a leading hospital in the city, has earmarked a substantial amount of funding for modern equipment and the application of advanced technologies in diagnosis and treatment. The funding will focus on thoracic endoscopic surgery, treatment of digestive and urologic diseases, brain tumor surgery using neuronavigation and analgesic treatments for cancer patients.
In 2013, the hospital became the 13th in the country and the first in the city to successfully transplant a kidney.
To prepare for its first kidney transplants, the hospital sent a total of 100 doctors to Bach Mai Hospital, the Vietnam-Germany Hospital, Military Hospital 103 and the France-based Limoges University to learn about the technique. It has performed eight successful kidney transplants so far.
The hospital is now working to develop other transplant techniques with its aim of being able to transplant livers and stem cells by 2016.
According to Municipal Department of Health Director Nguyen Khac Hien, the kidney transplant success has opened up opportunities for not just people living with kidney-related diseases , but also for those with other types of illnesses.
He said this was a crucial turning point in the hospital’s development process, increasing its prestige and helping the city achieve its 2015 transplant goal.
According to the Hanoi Department of Health, apart from Saint Paul Hospital, many local medical establishments have applied new technologies and provided high-quality services on par with central-level hospitals and those across Southeast Asia.
Aside from surgical techniques used in Saint Paul Hospital, a number of complicated procedures have been completed at the Hanoi Heart Hospital, the Hanoi Oncology Hospital, and the Hanoi Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital.
The city’s medical department also helped Laos’ Xiang Khouang province build a cardiovascular centre with technical assistance and equipment provided by the Hanoi Heart Hospital.
The development of high-quality diagnosis and treatment techniques and services help meet increasing demand of local residents and those from neighboring localities.
Municipal People’s Committee Chairman Nguyen The Thao urged the sector to continue applying more advanced technologies in preventive health, diagnosis and treatment to improve the quality of public health care.
He also called for the development of specialized hospitals and medical centres with synchronous and modern infrastructure and equipment , and high-quality services.-VNA