PV: In early June 2022, Nghe An Health Department visited and worked with Xieng Khouang Health Department. Could you please tell us the purpose and significance of this working trip?
Associate Professor, Dr. Duong Dinh Chinh spoke at the conference to share experiences in cooperation between Nghe An and Xieng Khouang health care.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Duong Dinh Chinh: Towards the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations (September 5, 1962) and the 45th anniversary of the signing of the Vietnam - Laos Friendship and Cooperation Treaty (July 18, 1977 - July 18, 2022), implementing the health cooperation program between Nghe An and Xieng Khouang provinces, from May 31 to June 4, the Nghe An health sector organized a working delegation to visit and work with the health sector of Xieng Khouang province, Lao People's Democratic Republic. The delegation included representatives of the Department of Health, Nghe An General Hospital, Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, Nghe An Trauma and Orthopedics Hospital, Nghe An Center for Disease Control, Ky Son District Medical Center, Vinh Medical University, etc. During this working trip, the health sector of the two provinces held a meeting to evaluate the results of health cooperation from 2015 to present and discuss the direction of cooperation in the coming time. Nghe An health sector also visited and worked with Xieng Khouang General Hospital, Xieng Khouang Medical College; district and commune health facilities of Xieng Khouang province. Assessing the effectiveness of cooperation activities, the health sectors of Nghe An province and Xieng Khouang province both agreed that the cooperation activities have achieved many remarkable results. Notably, Nghe An health sector has helped Xieng Khouang province in medical examination and treatment, technology transfer and training of medical personnel. Specifically, hospitals in Nghe An province have received medical staff from Xieng Khouang General Hospital to study techniques in many specialties; at the same time, experts have been sent to train Xieng Khouang General Hospital staff in the form of "hands-on training". After training, Xieng Khouang medical staff have mastered many advanced techniques that they had not been able to perform before; their professional skills have improved, and many critically ill patients have been saved thanks to the application of new knowledge.
The new Xieng Khouang General Hospital has been basically completed and is expected to be put into use by the end of 2022.
Nghe An's health sector has created the best conditions for medical examination and treatment for the people of Laos. Vinh Medical University has supported and trained many Lao students sent by Xieng Khouang province to study. Joining hands to prevent and fight epidemics, Nghe An and Xieng Khouang provinces have jointly implemented many cooperation activities to control infectious diseases and prevent epidemics on the border in many diverse and effective forms. Besides the achievements, there are still shortcomings and difficulties, namely: Covid-19 epidemic has greatly affected coordination; traditional medicine technology transfer activities have not been implemented; Xieng Khouang health care still faces many difficulties in terms of facilities and equipment... Reporter: Sir! Recently, the Vietnamese Government, through Nghe An province, has implemented a program to sponsor the construction of a modern general hospital for Xieng Khouang province. Can you tell us more about this new hospital?
Nghe An health sector delegation visited and worked with Xieng Khouang General Hospital.
According to the 2015 Bilateral Cooperation Agreement, the Xieng Khouang Provincial General Hospital Construction Project is on the list of projects using non-refundable aid from the Vietnamese Government to the Lao Government. The Vietnamese Government assigned the People's Committee of Nghe An Province to take charge of the implementation of this project. Accordingly, Nghe An Province has assigned the Management Board of Civil Construction and Urban Infrastructure Engineering Projects of Nghe An to be the investor in the construction of the hospital. The Xieng Khouang Provincial General Hospital Project was inaugurated on January 2, 2016; with a scale of 200 beds, total investment capital of nearly 500 billion VND... Up to now, after 6 years, the new Xieng Khouang Provincial General Hospital has been almost completed. According to the report of the Board of Directors of Xieng Khouang Provincial General Hospital, there are only a few machines that have not been handed over. The new hospital is expected to be put into operation by the end of this year. During this working trip, Xieng Khouang Provincial General Hospital requested Nghe An Health Department to help in effectively operating the new hospital facility. The delegation of Nghe An Health Department visited and specifically surveyed the facilities, equipment, and departmental layout of the new hospital. Accordingly, the new Xieng Khouang Provincial General Hospital is a hospital with very good infrastructure, 100% completed to date; modern equipment, operating room system, international standard testing lab; suitable for the scale of a province with nearly 300,000 people like Xieng Khouang.
The delegation visited and worked with Xieng Khouang Medical College.
In addition, the delegation also found some shortcomings that would occur when operating the new Xieng Khouang Provincial General Hospital, namely: Many of your medical staff have never had access to modern medical equipment; do not have much experience in infection prevention; new specialties need to develop more expertise and techniques (although since 2019, a human resource training program for the new hospital sponsored by the Vietnamese Government has been implemented); hospital management and operation activities and quality management also need attention when up to now, the management and operation of your hospital has still relied on books, and information technology has not been applied to management work... Through the survey, Nghe An Health Department agreed to help Xieng Khouang Provincial General Hospital in the management and operation of the new hospital; training in the operation of equipment; continuing training according to your requirements in the direction of developing technical expertise suitable for the disease model of Laos. Reporter: During this working trip, what cooperation agreements have been signed between the health sectors of Nghe An and Xieng Khouang provinces? Can you tell us more specifically about how Nghe An will help and support Xieng Khouang in the coming time? Associate Professor, Dr. Duong Dinh Chinh: Continuing to promote cooperation activities, the health sectors of the two provinces have agreed on many important contents. Accordingly, in the coming time, Nghe An health sector will continue to work with Xieng Khouang health sector to proactively prevent epidemics and conduct medical quarantine. Nghe An health sector will actively, "unconditionally", and thoroughly support the transfer of medical examination and treatment techniques; help Xieng Khouang province train medical human resources; help Xieng Khouang health sector effectively apply information technology in medical examination and treatment... The content of the signed cooperation agreement was implemented in accordance with the direction of the Provincial Party Secretary and Chairman of the People's Committee of Nghe An province before the delegation arrived to work.
Nghe An health sector delegation presented a souvenir painting to Xieng Khouang province health sector.
Nghe An and Xieng Khouang create all favorable conditions for people to examine, treat and receive treatment between hospitals of the two provinces. Nghe An conducts a comprehensive survey, assesses the needs and ability to receive technical expertise transfer support of the Xieng Khouang health system to develop specific and detailed plans for the fields to support Xieng Khouang to improve its medical examination and treatment capacity; provide professional support for Xieng Khouang General Hospital through regular online consultations once a week and ad hoc online consultations; when the epidemic situation is stable, doctors will be sent to work and provide direct professional support. Nghe An hospitals will do their best to help Xieng Khouang General Hospital transfer and develop techniques according to a specific roadmap, ensuring practicality and closeness to practical requirements; do not set too large a goal when human resources and medical equipment have not yet met the requirements. The goal of the transfer is to help Xieng Khouang people access good services, without having to move to Vietnam or Vientiane for treatment... In the field of training, Nghe An Health sector will organize practical training for Lao students in general, and Xieng Khouang students in particular, according to the Institute - School model to ensure good output quality. Vinh Medical University will strengthen coordination with Xieng Khouang Provincial Health Department in training postgraduate medical staff for Xieng Khouang provincial medical staff.
The working delegation visited and surveyed medical units at the provincial, district and grassroots levels of Xieng Khouang to propose appropriate and effective forms and contents of support.
Supporting the development of information technology for the Xieng Khouang Health sector is very difficult, but if determined, it can still be done well. The Xieng Khouang Health sector needs to prepare 3 basic conditions: technology platform, computers, servers; technology people; technology usage policy - In this particular issue, the Xieng Khouang Health sector should consider renting software and operations from network operators and software providers such as Viettel. The Health sectors of the two provinces have also proposed solutions to solve difficulties and problems that can interrupt the cooperation process: Xieng Khouang General Hospital needs to prepare resources in terms of equipment, facilities and human resources to be ready to receive technology transfer; plan basic Vietnamese language training for health workers before participating in training courses... Regarding support for Xieng Khouang health workers to study, the Health sector and Nghe An hospitals will provide completely free training; Vinh Medical University supports the dormitory; as for the food expenses for the staff, the health sector of the two provinces will propose to the leaders of the two provinces to consider a separate mechanism. Reporter: Thank you!
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