The HCM City Department of Health said on August 16 that Con Dao's healthcare capacity had improved significantly after a year of rotating specialists from the city's major hospitals to the island.
Since early September 2025, specialist teams have been deployed to Con Dao for one-month rotations. The programme has so far completed 13 rotations involving 101 doctor assignments.
Procedures previously difficult to perform on the island, including laparoscopic surgery and treatment of severe trauma and complex vascular and neurological injuries, are now handled locally, while stroke patients can receive care within the critical "golden window".
Accoridng to Tang Chi Thuong, director of the HCM City Department of Health, the distance between Con Dao and the mainland could become critical for patients suffering strokes, anaphylactic shock, respiratory failure or severe injuries.
He said the programme was aimed not only at increasing medical staff but also at bringing specialist care closer to patients.
In the first seven months of 2026, the Con Dao Civil-Military Medical Centre recorded 19,292 outpatient visits, nearly 5,300 more than a year earlier. Inpatient cases rose by 327 to 525, while surgeries more than doubled to 140 from 68.
A haemodialysis unit also began operating in May with technical support from Thong Nhat Hospital.
The facility allows kidney failure patients on Con Dao to receive dialysis locally rather than travelling to the mainland, reducing travel time and costs. It can also provide dialysis for visitors during their stay on the island.
The island can now treat more serious cases, including anaphylactic shock, cardiac conditions, severe respiratory illnesses and complex vascular, neurological and other injuries.
Many severe cases previously required urgent transfers to the mainland, but suitable patients can now be assessed and treated locally through consultations and coordination between medical teams.
The HCM City Department of Health reported that the programme's longer-term value lies in establishing stronger links between Con Dao and major hospitals on the mainland, as well as deploying specialists to the island.
Visiting doctors also train local medical staff and transfer clinical techniques, with hospitals maintaining professional coordination between rotations.
"Every technique successfully performed on the island can mean one fewer patient transfer, valuable hours saved and another opportunity for patients to receive treatment close to their families," Thuong noted.
