A medical cluster, which Ho Chi Minh City health authorities expect to help resolve patient overload at major hospitals, has started forming, with the first facility in the complex officially inaugurated earlier this month.

Developed by the municipal Department of Health, the Tan Kien Medical Cluster, occupying 74 hectares in outlying Binh Chanh District, is expected to include a children’s hospital, and new facilities of the Blood Transfusion and Hematology Hospital and Binh Dan Hospital.

The current Blood Transfusion and Hematology Hospital is located on Pham Viet Chanh Street in District 1, whereas the Binh Dan Hospital is on Dien Bien Phu Street in District 10.

The cluster will also house a forensic center, and an institution and training center of the Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine.

Among these units, the VND4.5 trillion (US$198 million) children’s hospital with a capacity of 1,000 beds was inaugurated on June 1, following two years of construction.

The construction of the hematology hospital and forensic center is scheduled to begin this August, while other components are undergoing site clearance.

All facilities within the Tan Kien Medical Cluster are expected to reach completion by 2020, according to Nguyen Tan Binh, director of the municipal health department.

The project is aimed at easing patient overload at hospitals across Ho Chi Minh City, Binh said, adding that the medical cluster will also be tasked with training and providing human resources for the healthcare sector in the city and southern region.

Patients wait for their turn at a hospital in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tuoi Tre

The completion of the medical zone is very much awaited given the current situation at local infirmaries.

According to Dr. Phu Chi Dung, director of the Blood Transfusion and Hematology Hospital, the clinic has been facing challenges in the treatment of its patients.

“We are not able to focus on developing our hematological studies or training new doctors and nurses due to the patient overload,” Dung continued.

Meanwhile, the Binh Dan Hospital also fails to meet the rising demand for medical services.

Even if the infirmary is renovated or expanded, it is still hard to solve the issue, said Dr. Tran Vinh Hung, director of the hospital.

“Therefore, the establishment of another facility of the Binh Dan Hospital is very necessary,” Hung asserted.

“The medical cluster will create new opportunities for the local healthcare sector to evolve and reach international standards.”

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