Paris (VNA) - The France-VietnamMedical Federation (FédérationSanté France Vietnam - FSFV) has become a bright spot in the movement of solidarity and friendship betweenthe two nations, and a bridge connecting French, Vietnamese and French-Vietnamesedoctors, said its President Dr. Dao Thu Ha.

Inan interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency, Hasaid the federation has consistently endeavoredto promote cooperation between hospitals of Vietnam and France, organise exchange activities, support healthcare human resources training, and provide technical assistanceand medical equipment for Vietnam, contributing to improving the quality ofhealthcare services at Vietnamese hospitals and medical facilities.

Theinitiative to set up the federation started in 2014 during the France – Vietnam Year, with the aim of gathering associations and individuals operatingin the medical field who have cooperative relations with Vietnam.

TheFSFV officially made its debut at a symposium held in Ho Chi Minh City in 2015,with the goal of creating a comprehensivestrength in actions, sharing professional experience and information, as wellas implementing cooperative projects between the two countries.

Ha, who is also President of the Imagerie,Médicale Sans Frontières (IMSF), said the FSFV has so far gathered around 25associations, groups, investment funds, and medical equipment andpharmaceutical companies, as well as Vietnamese,  French, and French-Vietnamese individuals workingin the medical field in France, who have cooperation with hospitals and medicalfacilities in Vietnam.

According to Ha, the federation has maintained the organisationof conferences to evaluate the medical cooperation between the two countries inrecent times and map out action programmes in the future.

It kept a close watch on the developments of the COVID-19 pandemicin Vietnam, and took all-out efforts to search for sources of aid regardingvaccines and medical equipment to join hands with Vietnam in the fight againstthe health crisis, she said, adding the FSFV shared its experience in preventing and controlling the pandemic with Vietnam as a multidisciplinary healthcare dialogue partner through onlineseminars.

Ha also revealed the federation’s plans in the coming time, saying that it hasplanned to organise specialised conferences in November in Hanoi in celebrationof the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations, and 10 years of the strategicpartnership between the two nations.

Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang highly appreciated the contributionsof French and French-Vietnamese doctors to promoting healthcare cooperationbetween the two countries, especially in human resources training and modernisingthe medical sector through providing technical assistance and donating medicalequipment to hospitals and healthcare facilities in Vietnam.

He expressed his hope that the FSFV will continue to play its special role intraining young generations who can continue and inherit the mission ofpromoting healthcare cooperation between the two nations./.