A medicine conference was held by the Hanoi Medical University in coordination with the French Embassy in Vietnam on the weekend to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-France diplomatic relations.
Chairwoman of the France-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians' Group Nguyen Thuy Anh said the 50 years have proven the uniqueness of a relationship between two peoples that have overcome the ups and downs of history towards the future.
"During challenging periods of history, it was the first exchanges on healthcare that sowed the seeds of solidarity and friendship between the two countries' people,” Anh added.
The France-Vietnam Medicine Conference sees the attendance of leading medical scientists and famous experts from France and Vietnam. Photo: VGP |
Many projects to train and exchange experts, medical equipment and drugs have been carried out, including residential internship programs, university degrees/inter-university degrees, and support for establishing medical centers and hospitals in Hanoi, among others. The projects not only contribute to modernizing Vietnam's healthcare system but also help train competent Vietnamese doctors.
“Specifically, about 3,000 Vietnamese interns and doctors were trained within the framework of cooperative projects, many of whom have become excellent experts in many fields and responsible for leadership positions,” Anh said.
Assessing the results of medical cooperation between France and Vietnam, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Lien Huong said that France has supported Vietnam in training thousands of doctors, nurses and medical staff.
“Postgraduate training programs are taught by French and Vietnamese professors and doctors at different medical and pharmaceutical universities in a number of provinces and cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hue, Hai Phong has trained more than 1,500 Vietnamese doctors,” Huong cited.
She noted that every year, dozens of French doctors and hundreds of French students come to Vietnam to work and study at Vietnamese universities and hospitals.
“In the field of preventive medicine and public health, the two sides have cooperated in disease prevention, especially the network of Pasteur Institutes which has supported Vietnam in effectively preventing and fighting dangerous epidemics and infectious diseases, including the Covid-19 pandemic,” said the minister.
She added that in the fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, France has also supported Vietnam with tens of millions of dollars through the Global Fund.
Prof. Dr. Nguyen Huu Tu, Rector of the Hanoi Medical University, said the France-Vietnam Medical Conference is a great opportunity for the two sides' colleagues to update the latest scientific information and share experiences in medical management, medical examination and treatment.
“The conference also served as a meaningful reunion to tighten the relationship between French and Vietnamese teachers and students over many generations, strengthening the friendship between the two nations,” Tu emphasized.
Leading doctors and medical experts from France and Vietnam have shared knowledge and exchanged experiences in a number of fields such as imaging diagnosis, obstetrics and gynecology, oncology-pediatrics, mental health, internal medicine and surgery, anesthesia and resuscitation, health systems, and climate change.