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| Leaders of the Department of Health, Hue Central Hospital, and foreign experts attending the inauguration ceremony of the Bone Marrow Transplant Room |
Attending the event were Assoc. Dr Tran Kiem Hao, Director of the Health Department of Hue City; Prof. Dr. Pham Nhu Hiep, Director of Hue Central Hospital; along with hospital leaders, international experts from DKMS (Germany), St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (USA), doctors from the Philippines, Chile, Singapore, and those from many other hospitals across the country.
Thalassemia is currently one of the major health issues among children in Vietnam. Each year, about 2,500 children are diagnosed with severe forms of the disease, requiring lifelong blood transfusions and iron chelation. However, these measures cannot prevent complications related to the heart, liver, kidneys, endocrine system, and physical and mental development, causing children to remain dependent on hospitals and become a burden on their families and society.
Stem cell transplantation is considered an effective treatment method, helping thalassemia patients break free from blood transfusions and return to a normal life. Since September 2024, Hue Central Hospital has successfully performed 10 transplants for children with this disease, opening new opportunities for many patients. However, the demand for bone marrow transplants remains very high, while the current facilities are not sufficient to meet the need.
In response to this reality, with the support of the DKMS organization (Germany), the hospital has built 2 additional transplant rooms. The inauguration of this Bone Marrow Transplant Room not only enhance the hospital’s treatment capacity but also affirms its roles as a leading specialized medical center in the Central region and nationwide. This is a crucial step that brings hope to many children with thalassemia, while also demonstrating the commitment of Vietnam’s health sector to adopting advanced treatment methods worldwide.