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Doctors at Hue Central Hospital successfully perform a liver transplant and provide post-transplant care for a 2-year-old pediatric patient. Photo: Provided by the hospital
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A pioneering milestone
Within the broader landscape of healthcare development in Hue City, Hue Central Hospital continues to affirm its role as a leading flagship of modern medicine in the Central - Central Highlands region of Vietnam. The year 2025 is regarded as a pivotal milestone for the hospital, marked by a series of outstanding professional achievements, particularly in organ transplantation and stem cell transplantation - advanced techniques traditionally found only in Asia’s top-tier medical centers.
One of the most significant milestones was a kidney transplant using the LifePort organ preservation system, with a preservation time of up to 12 hours - the longest recorded in Vietnam to date. Mastering fully this international-standard organ preservation technique has expanded life-saving opportunities for many patients living far from donor sources.
Subsequently, the fifth liver transplant performed independently by the medical team of Hue Central Hospital - saving the life of a 2-year-old child with congenital biliary atresia - affirmed a major leap forward in Hue’s medical capabilities. For the first time, all stages of the procedure, from multidisciplinary consultation, organ procurement, liver splitting, and transplantation to postoperative care, were carried out entirely by the Hue Central Hospital independently, marking a significant milestone in the advancement of healthcare in Hue.
Alongside liver transplantation, the hospital also made a landmark achievement by successfully performing an allogeneic bone marrow transplant to treat thalassemia between a mother and her child despite blood group incompatibility - the first case of its kind in Vietnam. Within just one year, the hospital carried out 11 pediatric bone marrow transplants, establishing Hue as one of the country’s leading centers for pediatric bone marrow transplantation in terms of both volume and success rates.
To date, Hue Central Hospital has performed more than 2,500 tissue and organ transplants, and remains the only medical center in Central Vietnam to simultaneously master heart, liver, and kidney transplantation, alongside numerous achievements in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular interventions, robotic surgery, cancer treatment, and advanced critical care.
Prof. Dr. Pham Nhu Hiep, Director of Hue Central Hospital, emphasized: “Each successful organ transplant represents a step forward, bringing Hue’s medical sector closer to Asia’s leading healthcare centers.”
Beyond organ transplantation, Hue is also a pioneer in adopting proton radiation therapy, one of the most advanced and highly effective cancer treatment technologies available today. For the first time, a dedicated proton therapy symposium was held at the Hue Oncology Conference 2025, marking the beginning of a deeper engagement by Hue with cutting-edge global treatment trends.
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Doctors at Hue Central Hospital successfully perform a liver transplant and provide post-transplant care for a 2-year-old pediatric patient. Photo: Provided by the hospital
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Integrating education – Clinical practice – Research
Alongside Hue Central Hospital, Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue University - with a 65-year tradition in medical education - serves as a cradle for training high-quality healthcare professionals for the Central - Central Highlands region of Vietnam and the nation. Over the past decade, the university has undertaken comprehensive reforms to align its training programs with international standards. Its two “core” programs are general medicine and dentistry.
In-depth collaboration with Harvard Medical School (USA) has opened opportunities for faculty members to access modern educational trends. Since 2018, a new training curriculum has been officially implemented, emphasizing a learner-centered approach, competency-based standards, and the integration of education, clinical practice, and research. The first cohort trained under this program graduated in 2024, producing more than 500 high-quality young physicians.
At the same time, the university is training nearly 11,000 undergraduate students across 11 academic programs, along with approximately 2,500 postgraduate trainees each year. The “University - Hospital” model linking Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy with its affiliated hospitals has created a distinctive ecosystem that integrates education with clinical care, providing a vital human-resource foundation for healthcare development in Hue.
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| Prof. Dr. Nguyen Vu Quoc Huy, Rector of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy, emphasized that Hue possesses a comprehensive ecosystem integrating education, clinical practice, and research - an advantage shared by few localities. This ecosystem serves as a powerful lever for the sustainable development of specialized, advanced healthcare in Hue. |
Building a comprehensive healthcare ecosystem
In implementing Resolution 72, the healthcare sector of Hue City is undergoing strong, coordinated reforms toward a modern, integrated, and people-centered system. By the end of 2025, Hue achieved a health insurance coverage rate of 99.35%, placing it among the highest in the country. More than 95% of residents now have electronic health records, providing a crucial foundation for continuous and lifelong health management.
The healthcare workforce has grown rapidly, with 15 - 16 physicians per 10,000 residents, exceeding the national average. The local healthcare system includes 1 provincial general hospital, 7 specialized hospitals, and 4 medical centers operating under a hub-and-spoke (nuclear hospital) model, forming a integrated connected network from primary care to tertiary-level services. In parallel, the private healthcare sector has expanded strongly, helping to reduce patient overload and enhance service quality.
Many innovative healthcare models are being implemented effectively, including telemedicine, the family physician model, modernized pre-hospital emergency care, comprehensive digital transformation, and the application of artificial intelligence in diagnostic imaging and chronic disease management. These innovations have helped shorten access times to medical services, improve treatment quality, and increase patient satisfaction.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Kiem Hao, Director of the Department of Health of Hue City, stated that to achieve the goal of positioning Hue as a regional center for specialized healthcare, the sector is focusing on six key priority areas: translating Resolution 72 into concrete action programs; investing in infrastructure and expanding hospital bed capacity; establishing a modern Center for Disease Control and a regional-level testing and laboratory center; restructuring the healthcare system; developing high-quality human resources; and accelerating digital transformation toward smart hospitals.
“The ultimate goal is not merely to expand or upgrade medical technologies, but to build a comprehensive healthcare ecosystem - spanning from advanced clinical care, education and research, medical industry, to medical tourism and wellness care. This is the path for Hue to become a new healthcare destination in the region,” Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Kiem Hao emphasized.