Plan to build a University of Medicine & Pharmacy HCMC’s second hospital and campus

​(CTT-Đong Nai) Dong Nai's administration is planning to build a second hospital and campus of UMP HCMC in the near future. 

Mr. Cao Tien Dung, Chairman of Dong Nai provincial People's Committee, speaking at a meeting with the Ministry of Health and the university's Board of Directors. 

A 97,7 hectares project
Mr. Le Duc Luan, Deputy Minister for Health, as stated in Decision No. 1414/QĐ-TTg signed by the Prime Minister about the Expansion of Medical Personnel stage 2 program, the second UMP HCMC's campus is going to be established in Dong Nai. This is to gradually transform it into Health University, an institution that can rival its counterparts in the region and other parts of the world; and establish a solid foundation to train future medical personnel with higher professional qualifications, improving the ability to treat and care for patients.

Directed by the Decision, the Ministry of Health appointed University of Medicine and Pharmacy HCMC as the project's head investor. The university is planning to use approximately 97,7 ha of land in Tan Hiep commune, Long Thanh district as the construction site. Specifically, 19,7 ha will be used to build a campus in the first stage; the remaining 77,9 ha will be set aside to build a hospital and research facility in stage 2. The total acreage was in Dong Nai Rubber Corporation's ownership.

November 2020, the corporation handed over 19,7 ha of land in Tan Hiep commune, Long Thanh district to the provincial's administration to carry out the first stage of the project. However, due to COVID-19 pandemic and other reasons, the project still has not completed.

At a recent meeting with Dong Nai's leaders, Mr. Le Duc Luan, Deputy Minister for Health, said that as the pandemic had been controlled, the Ministry would like the project to be soon carried out, as the University and its hospital's facilities are being overcrowded and overworked. It is estimated that the hospital treats around 10 thousand patients a day while at its max capacity.

Furthermore, the need for new medical personnel is in high demand, as almost every province is in short of medical personnel, mostly at community level, which is causing a strain on central hospitals due to increasing number of patients.

“Medical training needs to go side by side with hands-on experience. Therefore, the Ministry of Health is asking Dong Nai's administration to allocate more space to construct a campus and hospital with a capacity of 500 beds. The budget for the construction will be from the Ministry's midterm public investment budget from 2026 to 2031" said Mr. Luan.

 Associate professors doctor Tran Diep Tuan, Board Director of UMP HCMC, said that by constructing the campus and hospital at the same time, it will improve the personnel training process. Students will have a place to get hands-on experience, and patients will have a credible facility to receive treatment. Therefore, the university is asking for an additional 20 ha of land to carry out this vision.

Deputy Minister Le Duc Luan appreciates Dong Nai's administration for their help in this project.

Expecting the project will soon begin

Mr. Dang Minh Duc, Director of Department of Natural Resources and Environment, said the province has planned to use 19,7 ha of land for the first stage of this project. In respect of the Ministry of Health and UMP's petitions, Department of Natural Resources and Environment has agreed to work in tandem to make changes to the land-use planning, after that they will changing the planning for Long Thanh district to acquire additional land for this project.

Long Thanh district representative also added, there is a 21-hectare land opposite to the original 19,7 ha land that can be used to build a hospital. The district will work with the Department of Natural Resources and Environment and Department of Construction to adjust the planning accordingly.

Doctor Le Quang Trung, a specialist 2 doctor and vice director at Department of Health, stressed that he wanted this project to start as soon as possible, since the province's number of medical personnel is severely understaffed and underqualified, while people's need for healthcare is increasing. When the campus and hospital is completed, they will attract talented medical personnel to work at these facilities, improving the overall quality of treatment for future patients. The guidance of dedicated teachers and professors will also raise students and medical personnel' expertise.

Mr. Cao Tien Dung, Director of the Provincial People's Committee, also stated that the province will do its best to aid the implement of this project.
This will increase the ratio of doctor per residents in the province. In the future, when Long Thanh airport is completed and put to use, the present of a prestige university and hospital will raise the province's position, accommodating the need for medical treatments for both domestic and foreign patients.

Furthermore, the new facility will help train new generations of highly professional medical personnel for hospitals in the region, including ones in Dong Nai. As a result, it will raise the overall qualification of medical staff in the province.

 
The province's leadership also asked the university to send them an official document and relevant schematic so they can report to the Provincial Standing Party Committee. The Ministry of Health and the university is expected to begin the project as soon as every necessary procedure is completed, in order to keep up with the construction of Long Thanh airport, which is planned to finished in 2026. ​