Authorities of Vietnam’s central highlands province of Dak Nong put into operation the first phase of provincial general hospital worth more than VND300 billion ($15.38 million) on Aug 27. Of the sum, VND100 billion came from the government of South Korea’s official development assistance (ODA) aid and the rest from the state budget, the state-run Vietnam News Agency said late Aug 27. The 300-sickbed hospital, covering 14 hectares in Gia Nghia town, was outfitted with advanced equipment such as CT scanner, ADN tester, automatic X ray and tools for brain and spinal column operations. The facility is expected to cooperate with hospitals based in Ho Chi Minh City, military-run hospitals and central-level hospitals to offer medical checkups for locals and improve skills for health workers. Last July, the provincial health department began the construction of five general hospitals in the districts of Dak Mi, Cu Jut, Dak Glong, Krong No and Tuy Duc, totaling over VND400 billion. Vietnam now has 13,600 state and private-owned hospitals with 172,500 sickbeds. (vietnamplus.vn Aug 27)
