(VOVworld)-Vietnam’s medical sector has recently increased the transfer of technology and professional qualification amongst doctors from central-level public hospitals to lower-level hospitals, helping to improve the quality of health check-ups and treatment in medical facilities in Quang Ninh province. 

An operation underway in Quang Ninh hospital (Photo: Hoang Quy- My Dung)

In the past, most complicated surgeries such as cervical vertebra replacement, spinal lumbar disk replacement, or brain tumor surgery were transferred to central hospitals.

Now major hospitals in Quang Ninh can perform these surgeries. The provincial medical sector has invited professors and leading doctors from central hospitals to come and perform examinations, treatment, transfer of technology, and “on-the-job” training of doctors and medical staff in the province.

Quang Ninh’s general hospitals and leading specialized hospitals have also invested in infrastructure and advanced equipment.

“The hospital has been fitted with modern equipment. I don’t need to be transferred to a central hospital. It’s much more convenient for me and my family when I can be treated locally”, said Vu Hung Binh, a patient undergoing treatment at the Tumor and Cancer Department of Bai Chay Hospital.

Advanced radiotherapy treatment  (Photo: Hoang Quy- My Dung)

Many difficulties remain in developing a brand for provincial healthcare and making patients fully confident in local medical care.

“In the past, provincial doctors and provincial hospitals couldn’t meet patients’ needs, forcing them to go to higher level hospitals. Patients used to skip medical examination and treatment at provincial hospitals and head straight for the top doctors to treat them. Patients are ready to pay high premiums for the highest possible insurance benefit level because higher-level hospitals charge higher rates", Trinh Van Manh, Director of Quang Ninh General Hospital, told VOV.

In 2016, Quang Ninh General Hospital reduced the percentage of patients asking to be transferred to a central hospital from 8% to about 1%, organized 5 congenital heart surgery programs, and performed cardiovascular interventions for more than 400 patients.  

Much of these achievements can be credited to technology transfer programs. These are programs to transfer techniques in cancer surgery and treatment between the National Cancer Hospital and Bai Chay Hospital or to transfer techniques in congenital heart and vascular surgery between Vietnam-Germany Hospital and Quang Ninh General Hospital.
“In the future, we’ll focus on increasing personnel training, especially in the form of on-the-job training, attracting qualified personnel, cooperating with central hospitals and foreign experts, developing an online system of patient records, and getting qualified doctors to support district hospitals in technology transfer”, said Vu Xuan Dien, Director of the Quang Ninh provincial Department of Health,

The transfer of advanced medical techniques to lower-level hospitals saved the lives of hundreds of patients every year and reduced the patient overload at central hospitals.