HCM City to have first human milk bank of int’l standards
A breast milk bank of international standards will be established at Ho Chi Minh City’s Tu Du Hospital, announced Assoc. Prof., Dr Tang Chi Thuong, Deputy Director of the municipal Health Department, on August 17.
A breast milk bank of international standards will be established at Ho Chi Minh City’s Tu Du Hospital (Illustrative photo: VNA)
HCM City (VNA) –🅰 A breast milk bank of international standards will be established at Ho Chi Minh City’s Tu Du Hospital, announced Assoc. Prof., Dr Tang Chi Thuong, Deputy Director of the municipal Health Department, on August 17.
The establishment, the first of its kind in HCM City, is set to open in the first quarter of 2019, with the support of the FHI 360, a non-profit organisation on human development. As one of the leading obstetrics and gynaecology hospitals of the city, Tu Du Hospital handles about 66,000 birth cases annually. Among those, there are hundreds of premature babies who are fed on infant formula due to a shortage of breast milk. In face of this, the hospital put forward its plan to set up a breast milk bank in 2016, hoping to provide safe and nutritious human milk to save at-risk infants. Thuong noted that the human milk bank must closely follow strict requirements on equipment and operation, in accordance with international standards. He also affirmed the significant role of nursing mothers in the city who ensure stable supply of milk for newborns. The bank is hoped to be part of the network of breast milk banks in Southeast Asia and the world over, he added.-VNA
Vietnamese women who are unable to breast-feed their children for health reasons are increasingly using donated breast milk from other women, sparking warnings from physicians.
The Breast Milk Bank under the Da Nang Hospital for Women and Children, the first of its kind in Vietnam, received 140 litres of milk donated by 46 nursing mothers, after two months of operation.
Vietnam has taken different solutions to prevent micronutrient deficiency, which is relatively common in the country, especially in rural and mountainous areas.
Despite storm-related disruptions and flight delays, the organs were successfully transported via a combination of air and ground travel. All patients are currently stable and recovering well.
The patient, Tieu Viet But, born in 1970 and residing in Binh Tri commune, Binh Son district, the central province of Quang Ngai, was working aboard fishing vessel Qng – 95657TS when the incident occurred at 7:00 am.
All drugs entering hospitals must have a clear origin, so counterfeit drugs are only in the market, not in hospital, affirmed Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan.
To achieve its goal of becoming a developed nation by 2045, Vietnam is prioritising the integration of AI and digital tools into the training of future doctors, said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Viet Nhung, Dean of Medicine at University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vietnam National University (VNU) Hanoi.
Health experts called for collective disease prevention and integrated solutions to achieve zero dengue deaths in the country at an online talk show on June 14.
The PM called for closer, broader, and more effective cooperation with Vietnamese partners, guided by the principles of mutual benefit, joint efforts, shared outcomes, and common development, including promoting stronger public-private partnerships and collaboration with businesses.
Renowned for its expertise in complex surgeries, the hospital has attracted foreign patients seeking treatment for conditions such as kidney and urinary tract stones, urological and gastrointestinal cancers, and male reproductive disorders. Most procedures are performed using advanced techniques, including laparoscopy and robotic surgery. T
Leading Vietnamese companies specialising in respiratory and dermatological treatments, traditional medicine, immune support supplements, and functional foods will have an opportunity to connect with international distributors and secure export deals.
The project aimed to enable early detection and reduce the risk of dangerous complications, targeting patients with chronic diabetes, cardiovascular conditions and metabolic disorders.
A 2023 report by the Vietnam Health Economics Association estimated that the total cost of tobacco-related healthcare and economic losses reached 108 trillion VND (4.14 billion USD) annually – equivalent to 1.14% of GDP and five times higher than the budget revenue generated by the tobacco industry.
All eligible patients will receive surgical interventions and post-operative care in accordance with Vietnamese medical standards and global care protocols.
Medical screenings and surgical interventions for children with disabilities are being carried out at health centers across Dien Bien. So far this year, 242 children have been identified for diagnosis, treatment, surgery, and the provision of assistive devices.
The Red Journey has become the country’s largest and most effective blood donation campaign, leaving a strong impression on the national voluntary blood donation movement.
This case marks the ninth fetal cardiac intervention conducted in HCM City, and it was considered the most technically demanding to date due to the fetus’s extremely early gestational age and the severity of the condition as diagnosed with aortic atresia.
The groundbreaking ceremony took place one day after the VNVC Vaccine JS Company and Sanofi Group exchanged cooperation documents on vaccine production technology transfer under the witness of State President Luong Cuong and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Vietnam’s traditional medicine took centre stage at the International Congress Biopharm Nonclinical Development, BioNCiD 2025, held on May 25-26 in the Cuban city of Varadero, amid growing global interest in sustainable healthcare solutions.
Under the agreement, VNVC and Sanofi will gradually implement technology transfers to enable domestic production of several key Sanofi vaccines that are widely used in Vietnam. In addition, Sanofi will support VNVC in training human resources and quality management in vaccine research and manufacturing.
Despite the ongoing global circulation and unpredictable developments of SARS-CoV-2, the World Health Organisation (WHO) hasn’t issued new warnings about COVID-19, said the Ministry of Health.
A breast milk bank of international standards will be established at Ho Chi Minh City’s Tu Du Hospital (Illustrative photo: VNA) 
