Vietnamese military hospital increases international cooperation

(VNF) - Over the past years, Central Military Hospital 108 has implemented a number of solutions and measures to improve the quality of its medical examination and treatment as well as to enhance cooperation with countries and territories with advanced medicine.

Doctors of 108 hospital (source: PANO)

108 Military Central Hospital (108 Hospital) built in 1894, is one of the most famous hospitals in Vietnam, especially for surgery. It is a subordinate unit of Ministry of National Defence, and is the first hospital in Vietnam that carried out organ transplants (kidney, liver). At present, 108 Hospital has over 1,400 inpatient beds and is one of three high specialized medical centers, specializing on internal medicine.

It has so far had about 650 medical doctors, pharmacists and engineers, including over 40 professors and associate professors, 400 staff members with PhD and Master degrees as well as level-1 and level-2 specialty certificates.

To further develop its high-quality human resources, the hospital has been expanding cooperation with large domestic hospitals and medical centers, as well as advanced international medical and healthcare institutions. Accordingly, its doctors, experts and other staff members have continuously participated in both long- and short- term courses at home and overseas to accumulate modern medical knowledge and expertise.

Outcome of recent efforts in international cooperation

Enhancing international cooperation has been a success story of the hospital over the past years. Most of its leading medical experts and doctors have participated in training courses in foreign countries with advanced medicine, such as Russia, France, Germany, the US, Japan, Britain, Australia and Singapore.

So far, Central Military Hospital 108 has signed training agreements with leading medical universities, hospitals and institutes of more than 30 countries around the world. Thanks to this, the hospital has always acquired the world’s most modern and up-to-date medical techniques, skills and approaches in its medical examination and treatment. Its high-profile specialties include micro-surgery, cosmetic surgery, orthopedics, diagnostic methods, medical therapies for cancers, cardiovascular diseases, digestive diseases and infectious diseases. Particularly, it has successfully conducted a number of transplants of kidneys, liver, basic cells, and reproductive assistance procedures.

Medical cadres and experts introduced to equipment for a lab of the Vietnam-Germany Medical Research Center under Central Military Hospital 108 (source: PANO)

Alongside promoting international cooperation to apply advanced medical therapies and approaches, it has also focused on scientific research. The hospital’s staff members have published more than 200 scientific articles on the ISI system as well as announced a large number of valuable applicable initiatives in medical examination and treatment.

Recently, the Defense Minister has permitted the hospital to invest in and establish the Vietnam-Germany Medical Research Center. The inception of the center is expected to lay a good foundation for further development of the hospital in the future.

The establishment of the center was part of the hospital’s efforts to consolidate and strengthen the 20-year medical cooperation between Military Central Hospital 108 and the University of Tubingen and promote its international integration and cooperation. At present, Military Central Hospital 108 has set up cooperation programs with more than 40 countries and territories around the world. Through these programs, the hospital’s scientists, especially the younger staff, have had more chances to access modern technologies in the world to raise their professionalism, contributing to raising the hospital’s healthcare service quality

Direction of development in the time to come

According to the hospital's deputy director, Senior Colonel, Associate Professor and Doctor Le Huu Song, the hospital has drawn up a long-term strategic task of building a corps of high-quality medical doctors and experts for its own and contributing to developing medical resources for the whole military medical sector.

In the time to come, 108 hospital will review and select domestic and international partners to promote cooperation on medical research, medical technology development and medical hi-tech applications.

It will closely combine treatment and scientific research; apply advanced technologies in medical examination, diagnosis and treatment; well prepare assets and forces for calamities and possible conflicts; and contribute to promoting the role of the military medicine of Vietnam as an official member of the International Committee on Military Medicine in international cooperation.

The hospital has also submitted its strategic plans on international cooperation to the Defense Ministry. Accordingly, it has suggested promoting comprehensive cooperation with Japan on medical personnel training; enhancing international medical technology transfer; increasing exchanges of medical personnel with partners; inviting foreign and Vietnamese overseas medical experts to train domestic medical personnel; and conducting scientific research on medicine and healthcare with international partners on both bilateral and multilateral platforms./.

( VNF )