Huế Central Hospital (HCH), established in 1894, has been the first Western hospital in Vietnam. The hospital, providing 2078 beds and occupying 120,000 square meters, is one of three largest in the country along with Bạch Mai Hospital in Hanoi and Chợ Rẫy Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, and is managed by the Ministry of Health. HCH, positioned as is a top referral hospital, is a central medical institution for the 15,3 millions of Central Vietnam population. It is also the primary training facility for the Huế Medical College.
Huế Central Hospital employs 2,016 persons, including 431 doctors and pharmacists and 18 professors. They are supplemented by 152 staff and 2,500 students of the Huế Medical College and around 300 doctors and interns continuing their professional development at the hospital. HCH is organized into 52 clinics and para-clinic departments, notably the Cardiovascular Center (co–funded by Atlantic Philanthropies and East Meets West Foundation), Blood Transfusion Center (co–funded by World Bank and the World Health Organisation) and Training Center.
Annually it provides between 250 and 300 thousands of medical examinations, 60 to 70 thousands in-patient treatments and 20 thousand surgeries. As at 2005, it served 51,911 in-patients, with an above-norm occupancy rate of 137%, and provided care for 5,060 births. Patients from minority groups and the poor can be fully or partially exempted from medical fees. HCH administers nine national health programs in the Central Vietnam and itself receives financial and professional assistance from foreign countries like Japan and non-governmental charities.
HCH has been the site of Central Vietnam’s first open heart surgery, performed by Pr. Bui Duc Phu and his team in 1999. By 2007, Pr. Phu has performed more than 500 heart surgeries. Today, 1000 cases were performed per year. Typically, cost per heart surgery at HCH, 1,300 US dollars, is only half of the price charged by other hospitals.
In 2.3.2011, the first heart transplantation was performed, completely by Hue Central Hospital team.
Current expansion projects include construction and furnishing of Ophthalmology Department, and a training center funded by Atlantic Philanthropies. Most recent project announced, the Tumour Center, will provide 300 beds. Fundraising is underway to build and renovate other departments (Gynecology, Tuberculosis, Infectious Diseases etc.).
