HCMC’s leading investment group Van Thinh Phat (VTP Group) yesterday announced an unconditional and non-refundable aid package of over VND 451 billion (US$ 19 million) for upgrading An Binh Hospital, the first financed project in HCMC under this kind of aid.
Special fund
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of An Binh Hospital upgrading construction yesterday, Permanent Deputy Minister of Health Prof. Dr. Nguyen Viet Tien said that on behalf of the health sector he would like to say thanks to Van Thinh Phat Group Joint for the aid package of upgrading An Binh Hospital and requested the hospital and contractors to use the fund responsibly.
This is a big sum of money that the group had to save in its business, hence, beneficiaries must use the source of financial support most efficiently, the project must be on schedule and have quality assurance, said the Permanent Deputy Minister of Health.
He said that the health factor has overcome many difficulties to complete the mission of taking care of people health, to which many individuals and organizations including businesses have contributed so much.
The aid from VTP Group for rebuilding An Binh Hospial is a good example for the contribution of private partners and it is treasurable because the aid is an unconditional and non-refundable, he added.
Director of HCMC Department of Health Nguyen Tan Binh said that the upgrade of facilities and improvement of equipment in the hospital are aiming to raise quality of health examination and treatment.
HCMC has set up target of good facilities and high quality of healthcare services in all its hospitals by 2020.
Building green and high- tech hospital
An Binh Hospital located in an area of 15,000 square meter on An Binh Street in District 5 is a level 2 general hospital including 23 medical departments and 10 supportive service departments with 700 employees. It receives 2,000 patients everyday.
Initially, the hospital was a temple built by the Vietnamese Chinese community in 1892, aiming at providing free treatment to poor patients with traditional Chinese medicine.
Ass Prof. Dr. Bui Manh Con who is the hospital director said that the hospital is seriously degraded, often flooded during tides and rainfalls, causing dificulties for patients and affecting badly medical examination and treatment.
With the sponsor from VTP Group, the hospital will be built into a green, high-tech medical center which is expected not only to meet demand of healthcare of city inhabitants but also to provide high quality medical services at resasonable prices, he said.
The hospital is designed to have 500 standard beds. The aid from Van Thinh Phat will be used to build 200 standard beds and the main building of 12 floors and 1 base with the using square of 23,000 m2 in the first phase.
It is planned to set up funtional areas including polyclinic, outpatient treatment, technical, inpatient treatment, administration, logistics and auxiliary, parking areas.
The hospital will also be equipped with advanced medical instruments, aiming to increase quality of healthcare services. The 300 remaining beds are scheduled to build in the second phase and funded by the state budget.
The hospital is planned to set up new speciality fields, enhance specialized medical treatment, raise quality of medical care services, cut down the mortality rate. The hospital strives to meet the Health Ministry’s space standard of 9m2 per bed. After being upgraded the hospital is expected to reach the standard of level 1 hospital.
HCMC- based VTP Group found in 1991 is a Vietnam’s leading private multifield company that invests mainly in the real estate, construction, hotels, restaurants, financial services… The company has contributed to the social and economic development by charity activities and financial aids.
The non-refundable investment package for An Binh Hospital is the real support by the group to help HCMC to deal with the overloaded situation in public hospitals. The group chose An Binh Hospital because it is the oldest one in the city and had been a charity medical facility. In addition, the hospital is being damaged while the demand for medical treatment is increasing.
Permanent Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Viet Tien said that city residents will have more chances to access high quality healthcare services with reasonable prices if more and more private partners join hands with the Government, provide unconditional and non-refundable aids to upgrade public hospitals that are facing overcapacity and degrading situation.
