Tam Anh General Hospital has signed a contract with Mevion Group (USA) to own the world's leading modern Proton cancer treatment "super machine" with a total value of nearly 20,000 billion VND.
The most direct and clear beneficiaries of this 2,000 billion VND contract are cancer patients.
With the special physical properties of protons - stopping right at the tumor instead of penetrating like traditional X-rays, this treatment method helps significantly reduce damage to surrounding healthy tissues.
This means fewer side effects, reduced long-term complications, especially important for tumors located in sensitive areas such as the brain, head, neck, spinal cord, lungs, liver.
The goal is not only to prolong life but also to protect the quality of life after treatment.
A patient who recovers but carries heart, lung or lifelong neurological impairment sequelae, the price to pay is still very high. Proton technology, if properly indicated and operated properly, can help reduce that burden somewhat.
After the patient, the presence of the proton system in the water helps change the treatment psychology and the appearance of the medical system.
For many years, many Vietnamese patients have had to go abroad to access high technology, with costs of up to billions of VND per case, not to mention the cost of living, travel and time away from family.
Now, when equivalent technology is deployed domestically, access opportunities will be wider, while retaining a significant portion of financial resources for the domestic healthcare system.
Instead of having to transfer patients abroad, on the contrary, Vietnam can become a treatment destination in the region if it manages well and ensures quality.
The presence of the latest generation Proton MEVION S250-FIT cancer treatment "super machine" system from the US also creates positive pressure on the entire tumor ecosystem in Vietnam.
Operating a new generation proton system requires radiologists, medical physicists, and biomedical engineers to be trained according to international standards. The treatment planning process must be accurate, and the quality control system must be strict.
All of this forces the entire treatment chain, from diagnostic imaging, pathology to radiation therapy, to be upgraded synchronously. In other words, this "super machine" will lead to standardization and modernization of the entire system.
Of course, high technology always comes with challenges, from large investment costs, health insurance problems, the financial ability of patients to access it to the requirement for sustainable operation.
This is very good news at the beginning of the new year, an important milestone, showing that Vietnamese healthcare is entering the stage of approaching, mastering and operating the world's leading advanced cancer treatment technologies.
In the fight against cancer, every step towards accuracy, safety and quality of life is a medical step of great significance, not only for patients.
