Preparing to operate the most modern surgical hospital in the region
On December 19, Viet Duc Friendship Hospital will officially hand over the second facility in Ninh Binh to enter the stage of installing equipment and machinery.
According to Associate Professor, Dr. Duong Duc Hung - Director of Viet Duc Hospital, this is an important milestone, marking the transition from construction to preparation for practical operation, with the goal of receiving patients by the first quarter of 2026 at the latest.
Facility 2 is designed according to European standards, with the configuration of "a complete surgical hospital". The total investment exceeds VND5,000 billion for a scale of 1,000 beds, equivalent to more than VND5 billion per bed, creating a foundation for the synchronous implementation of high-quality surgical techniques.
According to the hospital's leaders, the equipment system at facility 2 is more modern than facility 1, qualified to meet the complex technical requirements of a terminal hospital.
The establishment of facility 2 also allows Viet Duc Hospital to clearly layer its expertise between the two locations, establish appropriate technical boundaries, expand key areas and "return" space to facility 1 to improve in-depth quality. The entire process of completing the new facility was closely coordinated by the hospital with the Project Management Board to ensure that the procurement and technical items were implemented accurately and effectively.
Associate Professor, Dr. Duong Duc Hung acknowledged that in the context of being an end-line surgical hospital, Viet Duc cannot refuse patients even though the overload situation is prolonged and the limited space affects the quality of service. The establishment of facility 2 is expected to remove this "bottleneck" by bringing the hospital's professional capacity closer to the people, reducing pressure on facility 1 in Hanoi.
When facility 2 is fully operational, patients will have more treatment options in the same environment as a leading surgical hospital in the country. Modern facilities, synchronous equipment and a team of well-trained doctors will help narrow the quality gap between the central and local levels, helping patients feel secure in treatment without having to rush to Hanoi.
Fasility 2 is a turning point to help Viet Duc develop to its full potential and mission, Mr. Hung emphasized.
Human resource rotation, ensuring equal professional quality
According to Associate Professor Hung, the biggest pressure when operating the second facility is not in infrastructure but in human resources. Surgery is different from internal medicine, requiring a training process of "hand-carried direction", long time and high continuity.
To proactively mobilize resources, Viet Duc Hospital has started recruiting and training personnel many years ago. Many doctors recruited 6-7 years ago have undergone practical training at the hospital and are now capable of taking on tasks at the new facility. At the same time, the hospital continuously recruits more anesthesiologists, nurses, and technicians; receives applications from medical schools and vocational schools. Recently, 3 more resident doctors who have just graduated have registered to work at facility 2.
The hospital invests in all training costs, and also rotates doctors and nurses between the two facilities to ensure similar professional quality. Some particularly complex surgeries are still maintained in Hanoi, but internal dividers will be clearly established to ensure safety and treatment effectiveness. Along with expertise, training on medical ethics, attitude and spirit of serving patients is also given special attention by the hospital at facility 2.
Investing in surgical robots, accelerating to improve treatment quality
In parallel with preparing to operate a new facility, Viet Duc Hospital continues to improve its professional capacity at facility 1. A series of training programs have been organized for all medical staff, from the use of electric shock devices, anti-defense treatment, cardiovascular emergency care to other continuous training courses. We provide comprehensive training so that anyone can use it, especially essential equipment in emergency care, said Associate Professor Hung.
Along with improving human resource skills, the hospital continues to add modern equipment, including plans to invest in more surgical robots. The application of robots is expected to improve the accuracy, quality of surgeries and treatment outcomes for patients.
Associate Professor, Dr. Duong Duc Hung affirmed: "What the world has done, in terms of technology, we can do everything".
According to him, next year will be the acceleration period when both facilities operate together, upgrade together to move towards real professional quality - a core factor and also the only foundation to maintain patient trust.
