According to Tran Viet Truong, Chairman of the Can Tho People’s Committee, the partnership is expected to help Can Tho promote innovation in particular healthcare areas, including disease prevention and control, medical and biological research, and human resources training. It will also increase the access to new medicines and vaccines in Can Tho and the Mekong Delta region.
In the future, the two sides will jointly conduct a number of programmes in respiratory health, as well as those of cardiovascular, kidney, metabolic, tumor and digestive health care, he said.
Hoang Quoc Cuong, Director of the city Department of Health, said that the Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy, which trains more than 2,000 doctors and medical staff each year for the Mekong Delta region, is well positioned for AstraZeneca to build an innovative healthcare centre in Can Tho. The centre will conduct in-depth research and train high-quality human resources for the healthcare sector with the engagement of foreign experts.
Cuong said that currently, 60% of patients in Can Tho hospitals are from Mekong Delta localities, or about 12 million people of the total 20 million in the region.
Under the MoU, AstraZeneca Vietnam will work with Can Tho to give cancer screening to 10,000 people in the region where the rate of pulmonary tuberculosis is highest in the country.
Cuong said he hopes that in the coming time, the two sides will expand screening for cancers of the liver, breast, cervix, and thyroid, while strengthening the application of artificial intelligence in image diagnosis.
Nitin Kapoor, Chairman and General Director of AstraZeneca Vietnam, pledged that the firm will strengthen cooperation with Can Tho in promoting innovation in the medical field, providing solutions and initiatives related to clinical trials, health examination and treatment, as well as in increasing the application of AI in the screening of lung cancer, asthma, and chronic pulmonary embolism.
The firm also commits to joining hands in environmental protection and sustainable development in the globe, he said, noting that it is implementing a 50-million-USD package to reduce carbon emissions in Vietnam.
Currently, AstraZeneca runs 20 medical innovation centres around the world.
