Ho Chi Minh City: Upgrading Military-Civilian Medical Center into Con Dao General Hospital

Upgrading Con Dao Military-Civilian Medical Center

Recently, a delegation of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health and leading medical experts including central hospitals in the area; general and specialized hospitals at the city's end; and leaders of medical universities made a survey and work trip to Con Dao Special Zone.

The working trip aimed to assess the current situation, needs and establish orientation for the development of the healthcare system in Con Dao, which has a strategic position in terms of national defense, security and potential for eco-tourism development in Ho Chi Minh City.

Health experts propose short-term and long-term solutions to improve health care capacity in Con Dao Special Zone. (Photo: Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health)

Con Dao Military-Civilian Medical Center was established in 2005 with a scale of 60 beds, a combination of the Medical Center and the Con Dao District Military Hospital, performing the functions of medical examination and treatment, rehabilitation and other medical services for the people, armed forces, tourists, visitors...

However, this medical center is still facing many difficulties in providing health care for the people, especially in the fields of obstetrics and gynecology, surgery, pediatrics, etc. At the same time, accessing advanced techniques in diagnosis, treatment, and emergency care for serious and critical cases is still a dream of doctors and nurses working on remote islands.

In addition, Con Dao currently has about 14,000 permanent residents, receiving more than 400,000 tourists each year. However, the health care model here still has many difficulties.

Therefore, the experts of the working group clearly determined that the gradual upgrading of the Military-Civilian Medical Center into Con Dao General Hospital is a strategic direction, ensuring the capacity for medical examination and treatment, emergency care, public health management and response to emergency situations on remote islands.

In particular, phase one will increase the rotation of doctors by specialty, develop an emergency and resuscitation system, deploy telemedicine, apply AI in reading the results of diagnostic imaging devices, and manage the health of the entire population using electronic health records.

Phase two will transform the Medical Center into a General Hospital of appropriate scale, including specialized departments, testing systems, diagnostic imaging, inpatient and outpatient treatment, and an emergency coordination center connected to the mainland.

Mr. Nguyen Phuoc Loc, Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Ho Chi Minh City affirmed: “Developing healthcare in Con Dao is not only for the welfare of the islanders but also a strategic task of the expanded Ho Chi Minh City. This is a step that demonstrates political responsibility, profound humanity and is consistent with the development orientation of the entire region after the merger.”

Take it step by step

Accordingly, leading hospitals such as Hung Vuong, Nhi Dong 1, Binh Dan, Nhan Dan 115, Nhan Dan Gia Dinh, Trauma and Orthopedics... committed to supporting the rotation of specialist doctors to Con Dao, organizing periodic specialized medical examinations using high technology for people living in Con Dao. At the same time, remote consultation and technology transfer will be held for medical staff working at the Con Dao Military-Civilian Medical Center.

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, the “specialty twinning” model between each of the city’s tertiary hospitals and the specialized fields of the Con Dao Medical Center will be studied and implemented, helping to link long-term responsibilities between the mainland and the remote islands. The first rotation of specialist doctors is expected to take place in early September 2025.

In particular, Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy and Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine will support distance learning, continuous training, implement green summer programs and be ready to support on-site medical human resource training for the island.

“One of the highlights of the program is the orientation of applying digital technology in public health management in Con Dao. With a population size “just enough to conduct a comprehensive pilot”, creating health data for all people on the island is very feasible. On that basis, the health sector will coordinate with the University of Medicine and Pharmacy and technology partners to deploy a personalized health management system based on the family medicine model”, said the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health.

With the set roadmap, Mr. Le Anh Tu, Secretary of Con Dao Special Zone shared: "People on Con Dao Island will certainly be very happy to receive information from the working group of the Ho Chi Minh City health sector through many specific support commitments to improve the quality of health care in the locality."

Source: https://baodautu.vn/tphcm-nang-cap-trung-tam-y-te-quan-dan-y-thanh-benh-vien-da-khoa-con-dao-d334037.html