Associate Professor Dao Xuan Co, director of Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi, made the proposal during a meeting on June 17 with Bodo Ramelow, vice president of the German Bundestag.
The director of Bach Mai Hospital presents a commemorative gift to Bodo Ramelow (Photo: Thanh Duong).
During the visit, Ramelow said German businesses that had previously inspected Vietnamese training institutions were impressed by their standards and expressed confidence in the quality of Vietnam's healthcare workforce.
As one of Vietnam's highest-level referral hospitals, Bach Mai Hospital treats large numbers of critically ill patients from across the country and employs a highly qualified team of professors, associate professors, doctors and medical specialists.
Following a recent working visit to Germany, Co said the hospital had identified valuable lessons from Germany's healthcare system, nursing education programmes, elderly care services and long-term care model.
"Vietnam is entering a period of rapid population ageing. Reforming healthcare services towards patient-centred care, expanding long-term and community-based care, and developing a professional nursing workforce are urgent priorities," he said.
Co proposed establishing a German-style Centre for Elderly Care and Long-term Care at Bach Mai Hospital, with the goal of developing a modern and professional elderly care facility in Vietnam.
He also suggested creating a strategic Vietnam-Germany cooperation programme on nursing and elderly care involving Bach Mai Hospital, the German Nursing Association, hospitals, training institutions and nursing homes in Germany.
Under the proposal, licensed nurses from Bach Mai Hospital would be selected to undertake professional training and work placements in Germany for two to three years before returning to Vietnam.
The returning nurses would help transfer care models, train colleagues and contribute to the development of professional nursing services in the country.
Nurses at Bach Mai Hospital care for a patient (Photo: Hospital).
The hospital also called on the German government and German partners to support the initiative through expert exchanges, management and professional know-how transfers, and partnerships with German nursing homes.
Ramelow said healthcare professionals trained in Vietnam were fully capable of working in developed countries such as Germany, the United States, Canada and Australia.
However, he noted that Vietnamese healthcare workers seeking employment in Germany still face legal and regulatory barriers, including requirements to undergo additional examinations despite having completed professional training in Vietnam.
He said he hoped to continue serving as a bridge for deeper cooperation between the two countries, particularly in nursing education and elderly care services.
