Hanoi: Construction starts on Vietnam-Japan International Oncology Hospital

The Vietnam-Japan International Oncology Hospital covers an area of nearly 5,000 square metres, with a floor area of 28,000 square metres.

Invested with over VND1.5 trillion (US$65.7 million), the hospital is scheduled to be complete by 2018 with approximately 100 inpatient beds and will be capable of providing examination and treatment to outpatients equivalent to 250 beds.

All departments of the hospital are expected to meet Joint Commission International Accreditation Standards for Hospitals (JCI standards), targeting screening, early detection, diagnosis and treatment for cancer patients.

It will also operate under the hi-tech model of an international hospital on par with standards of Japan and the US, with testing equipment reaching comparable standards to modern hospitals in the two countries. Furthermore, its centre for pathological analysis and diagnosis will be connected with partners in Japan and the US for the most accurate initial examination results.

Delegates symbolically break the first ground for construction of the hospital. (Credit: hanoimoi.com.vn)

Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony, Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien emphasised that fluctuating patterns of diseases have increased the incidence and mortality of non-communicable diseases, of which cancer is a prime example. The shift has increased pressure on the health system in general and the network of cancer prevention in particular, she said, adding that overcrowding in cancer treatment facilities in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City is the clearest evidence.

The minister also said that construction of the hospital would not only reduce overloading at medical facilities in the capital city, but also meet the demand of the public for better treatment and reducing the number of patients forced to go abroad for treatment.

According to her, the project is the result of increased cooperation between the Governments of Vietnam and Japan, dedicated to becoming an international standard hospital with advanced technology and equipment from Japan and the US.

Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Nguyen Duc Chung urged investors to focus resources on and implement project management in accordance with the provisions of laws, while guaranteeing efficiency and quality to put the hospital into operation in the first quarter of 2018 as the approved decision.

According to statistics, on average each year Vietnam records an additional 200,000 cancer cases and about 100,000 deaths due to the disease.