French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on November 4 attended a ceremony to inaugurate the French medical centre in Ho Chi Minh City as part of his official visit to Vietnam from November 2-4.

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe (R) and Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien inaugurate the French medical centre in HCM City.

The event was part of the activities to mark 45^th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties and five years of strategic partnership between Vietnam and France.

In his remarks, the French PM expressed his delight at the operation of the medical centre, saying that besides giving medical examination and treatment, the centre will help boost medical and pharmaceutical training for Vietnamese doctors.

Collaboration between Vietnamese and French doctors at the centre will offer opportunities for both sides to enhance experience sharing and human resources training to better public health care, he added.

According to Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien, the ministry and the French Ministry of Solidarity and Health inked a cooperation programme in the framework of the French PM’s visit, which covers training (with certificates), support for infectious disease prevention, training in medical and financial management, and human resources development.

The programme is a good opportunity for Vietnamese doctors and managers to improve their expertise in the public health sector and effectively supervise capital sources for the sector, she underlined.

Since 1993, generations of Vietnamese medical officials who received training in France have become leading experts in the health care sector. Also, the signing of various inter-government agreements in the field has formed a foundation for exchange activities between the two countries, contributing to developing Vietnam’s medical system, especially in cardiovascular, cancer, anesthesia, neonatology, maternity and public health./.

VNF/VNA