Reporters of Hue Today had a conversation with Dr. Ho Van Linh, Deputy Director of Hue Central Hospital, about this issue.
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| Dr. Ho Van Linh, Deputy Director of Hue Central Hospital |
For the very first time, the hospital has been named to the ‘Best Specialized Hospitals Asia Pacific 2026’ ranking. What significance, in your view, does this recognition hold for the hospital’s development and the standing of Hue’s healthcare sector?
Being recognized by Newsweek, in collaboration with data research organization Statista, in the ‘Best Specialized Hospitals Asia Pacific 2026’ ranking for oncology is a major milestone in the development of Hue Central Hospital.
First and foremost, this recognition is an objective acknowledgment of the sustained efforts and investment made by generations of the hospital’s leaders, physicians, and staff in developing oncology services in a comprehensive, multidisciplinary, and highly specialized direction.
At Hue Central Hospital, cancer patients receive comprehensive, multimodal care from spanning diagnosis, surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, stem cell transplantation to palliative care, and long-term follow-up. Seamless collaboration across specialties allows for highly personalized treatment plans, ultimately improving patient outcomes and quality of life. Therefore, achieving a place in this ranking not only underscores the hospital’s expertise in oncology, but also highlights its integrated strength in skilled personnel, advanced infrastructure, modern technology, and quality management.
More broadly, this milestone underscores the rising stature of Hue’s healthcare sector within Vietnam’s specialized medical network and the wider region. It proves that a regional medical center in Central Vietnam can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with leading institutions across Asia-Pacific, while reinforcing public confidence in accessing world-class healthcare and advanced medical care right at home.
Being recognized at the regional level is certainly a source of pride, but does this recognition also place greater pressure on the hospital to further improve the quality of medical examination and treatment and strengthen its international integration?
This recognition brings both pride and a renewed sense of motivation and responsibility for the hospital. Such a prestigious ranking provides an opportunity to benchmark the hospital’s capabilities against regional peers in terms of clinical expertise, quality of care, patient safety, quality management and its ability to meet the increasingly demanding standards of healthcare across the Asia-Pacific region.
Therefore, this milestone allows us to reflect on what we have achieved while gaining a clearer understanding of the areas where further improvements are needed. It also opens up greater opportunities for the hospital to expand international cooperation, promote professional exchange, strengthen human resource training, and adopt new medical techniques.
Our overarching approach is to drive continuous, comprehensive, and sustainable improvements in care quality. Any advancement across our specialties must translate into tangible benefits for patient outcomes.
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| Hue Central Hospital signing a MoU with Korean Businesses and Medical Experts for 2026-2028 period |
Thus, the ranking is not an end in itself; what matters more are the tangible improvements behind it. In the coming period, what key measures will Hue Central Hospital prioritize to further elevate the status and reputation of Hue Central Hospital built over more than 130 years at the regional and international levels?
In the coming period, we will focus on key groups of solutions to maintain and enhance our clinical expertise, as well as the status and reputation that Hue Central Hospital has built more than 130 years at the regional and international levels.
First and foremost, alongside oncology, the hospital will continue to advance other specialties in which it has established strengths, including organ transplantation, cardiology, surgery, molecular biology and pathology.
The second measure is to standardize quality management and patient safety practices in line with increasingly stringent standards; Furthermore, the hospital also needs to strengthen infection control, risk management, treatment outcome assessments, and collect patient feedback.
Digital transformation and healthcare data management will be further accelerated to support clinical decision-making, reduce waiting times, and improve continuity of care.
The hospital will also place a strong focus on developing a high-quality workforce through specialized and continuing education, scientific research, and international collaboration. At the same time, we will step up professional exchanges and technical transfers, while expanding partnerships with healthcare institutions, universities, and professional organizations both in Vietnam and overseas.
Looking beyond a single hospital, Hue is home to a number of healthcare and medical training institutions, as well as specialties with strong expertise. In your opinion, how should Hue’s leading healthcare institutions work together to build a medical ecosystem capable of developing healthcare services and medical tourism, thereby making a greater contribution to the city’s economic growth?
To build a medical ecosystem that makes a meaningful contribution to the city’s economic growth, first of all, Hue’s healthcare institutions must move beyond operating in isolation and strengthen inter-institutional coordination, capitalizing on each other’s strengths while keeping quality and patient safety at the core of all efforts.
This collaboration must be implemented synchronously across the full spectrum of care, from examination, diagnosis, and specialized treatment to rehabilitation, traditional medicine to post-treatment care. At the same time, mechanisms for clinical consultations, patient referrals, data sharing, workforce training, scientific research, and technology transfer should be refined and perfected. When healthcare facilities are connected through unified professional protocols, patients will gain access to more seamless, convenient, and effective healthcare services.
Building on this foundation, Hue can gradually develop integrated healthcare packages that combine specialized medical examinations and treatment with leisure, rehabilitation, and post-treatment follow-up. By connecting healthcare providers with tourism, accommodation, transportation and other support services, the city can create a chain of comprehensive, high-quality medical tourism products.
However, this development process must strictly adhere to professional standards, ensure transparency in quality and costs, and avoid compromising the primary mission of taking care of public health.
Leveraging its advantages in expert medical personnel, education and training systems, cultural heritage, living environment, and an established healthcare brand over many years, Hue’s medical sector can fully become a vital pillar, with a unified coordination mechanism and a long-term investment strategy. This will not only serve local citizens well, but also generate additional momentum for tourism, services, and the city's overall economic growth.
Thank you, sir!