Healthcare Industry: Focus on developing specialized techniques

(Baonghean) -In recent times, Nghe An Health Sector has focused on investing in developing specialized technical expertise in a number of provincial and district hospitals; in the coming time, the sector will continue to promote the development of specialized techniques, especially in district hospitals.

The focus on promoting and developing new techniques of Nghe An Health Sector has quickly reaped “sweet fruits”; many specialized techniques that previously could only be performed at central hospitals have now been successfully deployed and applied at provincial and district hospitals. These include thoracic endoscopic surgery to burn sympathetic ganglia, partial and total hip replacement surgery, permanent pacemaker implantation, temporary pacemaker placement, spinal fusion surgery using pedicle screws... In particular, in 2012, an important breakthrough was the open heart surgery technique which was successfully deployed at the Provincial General Hospital with 53 cases and Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital with 3 cases. All patients after surgery quickly stabilized, recovered and their health progressed well. The success in implementing cardiovascular surgical techniques has opened a new path for the establishment of the North Central Cardiovascular Center in Nghe An, helping to reduce the travel burden for people as well as reduce the load on upper-level hospitals.



Caring for and treating patients at Nghe An General Friendship Hospital. Photo: Tu Thanh

With the strong investment in equipment to increasingly meet the medical examination and treatment needs of the people, along with the help of leading hospitals in the country, almost all provincial and regional hospitals have had better and better conditions for treating patients. The Endocrinology Hospital has successfully performed goiter and thyroid surgery; the Provincial Hematology and Blood Transfusion Center has successfully transformed the testing process on automatic machines, produced blood products, bone marrow blood techniques, cytological techniques, peripheral blood cell testing on automatic machines, safe blood distribution process, detection and screening of abnormal blood antibodies, transfer of the diagnosis and treatment process of malignant and non-malignant blood diseases, care and treatment of blood diseases; The Northwest Regional General Hospital applies techniques for testing to detect fungi and skin diseases... At the Provincial General Hospital, endoscopic surgery has become a routine surgical technique in the department and in specialties such as: emergency, digestive surgery, hepatobiliary - pancreatic surgery, kidney - urinary surgery, thoracic surgery... In particular, surgery to crush biliary tract stones and urinary tract stones with a flexible endoscope has brought high efficiency to patients and has been learned by hospitals in Thanh Hoa and Ha Tinh provinces.

In district hospitals, the techniques transferred from provincial hospitals were also quickly grasped by doctors and nurses and applied to the treatment of patients: Nghi Loc District General Hospital has deployed many new techniques such as laparoscopic surgery, hemorrhoidectomy by Longo method, cataract surgery by phaco method. After 2 years of deployment, up to September 2012, the hospital had performed 258 laparoscopic surgeries, 13 hemorrhoidectomy surgeries and 530 phaco surgeries. Since July 2012, the hospital has put into operation a bone density measuring machine with a capacity of 5-7 patients/day. Vinh City General Hospital is now equipped with a 6-slice CT Scanner; digital X-ray machine; 3D, 4D color ultrasound machine; digestive tract video endoscopy set; ear - nose - throat endoscopy set; electroencephalography, electropulse machine; automatic biochemical testing machine; Automatic blood coagulation machine; immune machine, respiratory function detector... At Tuong Duong, Quy Hop, Quynh Luu, Thanh Chuong General Hospitals, new techniques of combining clavicle and limb bones, prostate fibroid surgery, transfer of pain relief techniques during labor, newborn care, and basic newborn resuscitation are mastered by doctors and nurses.

Assessing the development of specialized techniques in the province's health sector in recent times, Dr. Bui Dinh Long, Director of Nghe An Department of Health, affirmed: The development of many new techniques in treatment has been focused on and promoted by all levels, sectors and units and achieved high efficiency. Thereby, helping to significantly improve the quality of medical examination and treatment at the grassroots level, avoiding overload at the upper level and reducing costs for patients. However, it must be recognized that the development of new techniques is uneven, mainly concentrated in provincial hospitals, some district hospitals are still very limited, especially in mountainous areas, including common specialties.

In the coming time, the sector will continue to promote the development of new techniques on the basis of implementing the Project on developing the High-Tech Medical Center in the North Central region; advise on the development, submit to the Provincial People's Committee for approval and implement the Project "Improving the quality of medical examination and treatment in Nghe An province, period 2013 - 2020" in the direction of determining the list of techniques to be implemented in Nghe An until 2020 and for each hospital, prioritizing the fields of cardiovascular, oncology, obstetrics... Directing hospitals to focus on training to implement the list of techniques according to the roadmap, focusing on training high-quality human resources by sending young and competent staff and arranging them into professional and technical teams to study at home and abroad. In particular, focusing on attracting high-tech human resources from universities, as well as training BSCKI, CKII, masters, and doctors for all levels, especially at the provincial level.

Thanh Chung