National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung commended the dedicated efforts of the medical sector and Bach Mai hospital in particular while visiting the Hanoi-based hospital on February 25, with the 59th anniversary of Vietnamese Doctors’ Day (February 27) approaching.

He urged them to keep improving their professional skills and sense of responsibility while acquiring the latest medical advances both at home and abroad, worthy of being a mainstay of patients.

The top legislator took the occasion to call for giving priority to preventive medicine. According to him, the quality of health check-ups and treatment should get better on the back of all possible social resources, especially at grassroots medical stations.

At the same time, overloading in hospitals must be addressed and medical insurance should be mandatory for all citizens, he noted.

Reviewing what the sector has reaped over the past time, Hung said Vietnam has eliminated dangerous outbreaks such as polio, tetanus, whooping cough and diphtheria thanks to the application of advanced medical technologies.

The average life expectancy is 73, and the country is realising the United Nations millennium development goals on healthcare, which are proud-worthy achievements, he added.

Founded in 1911, the Bach Mai general hospital examines and treats over one million patients each year, offering 1,400 beds, spacious facilities, modern equipment and a 2,000-strong staff. In early 2004, it successfully treated patients with SARS and controlled pneumonia cases caused by avian flu viruses.

As a prestigious training centre for graduates, post-graduates, nurses and newly-recruited doctors, it annually works on at least 100 highly-practical theses and welcomes hundreds of foreign delegations coming to learn from its experience and seek cooperation.-VAN