Vietnam Oks Austria-funded Medical Equipment Project in North

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved a project on providing medical devices for a general hospital in North using official development assistance (ODA) loans from the Austrian government. The PM assigned the Ministry of Finance to work with local authorities of Ninh Binh northern province and concerned agencies to negotiate loan agreement for the project and ensure preferential loan. The project, which will benefit the provincial general hospital, is expected to better healthcare service quality for local residents. The 700-bed hospital is considered the north’s most modern provincial hospital built at a cost of over VND1.4 trillion ($65.72 million). It has established more facilities like radiation therapy centers, endocrinology, stroke, cranial neurosurgery, osteoarthritis and medical oncology. Last Sept, the PM also adopted a EUR17-million project to upgrade Hue Central Hospital using loans from the Austrian government to provide medical equipment for its cancer and tumor center. (Thoi Bao Kinh Te - Economic Times Jan 12 page appendix, Nong Thon Ngay Nay - Countryside Today Jan 11)