Tu Du Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City celebrated its 50th anniversary and officially inaugurated its European-standard neonatal intensive care unit on Friday.

The event was attended by Nguyen Phuoc Loc, Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee and Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, along with Tang Chi Thuong, director of the municipal Department of Health, among others.

The newly-launched unit is set to make a profound impact on neonatal care. 

With an average of 220 premature births daily, the unit plays a vital role in improving survival rates for premature infants, especially those born extremely preterm (24-28 weeks).

According to Thuong, neonatal intensive care is categorized into four levels, and Tu Du Hospital has now reached Level 4--the highest tier. 

This means the hospital can handle complex cases, including extremely premature infants and newborns with critical conditions requiring intensive medical intervention or surgery.

While Tu Du Hospital does not have in-house pediatric surgeons, its close collaboration with top pediatric hospitals in the city enables it to successfully implement Level 4 neonatal care.

Thuong expressed his hope that Tu Du Hospital will continue its advancements in maternal and neonatal care, bringing happiness to countless families.

Delegates attend the inauguration ceremony of the European-standard neonatal intensive care unit at Tu Du Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, February 21, 2025. Photo: Phuong Quyen / Tuoi Tre

Speaking at the event, Tran Ngoc Hai, director of Tu Du Hospital, emphasized that the hospital remains a leading facility in maternal and infant healthcare, maintaining a maternal mortality rate significantly lower than both regional and global averages. 

The rate has dropped from 97 per 100,000 births in 2000 to just 2.9 per 100,000 births in 2024, a figure well below the average in South Asia (172 per 100,000 births) and worldwide (227 per 100,000 births).

During the event, families of five babies who had successfully undergone fetal heart surgery expressed their gratitude to the medical teams of Tu Du Hospital and Children's Hospital No. 1.

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