HFH plans for expansion

Paul Billion, president of French Hospital of Hanoi (HFH), said the investment would raise the

number of bed at the hospital from 68 to 100.

“HFH is now in the final phase of a decision to significantly expand the current hospital premises into a much larger area with increased capacity,” said Billion.

“Realising the huge opportunity in Vietnam, we decided to set up a new plan to meet this demand for health services, which prioritises cooperation with leading ASEAN hospitals to provide internationally-standardised internal and surgical services for domestic patients,” he added.

It was initially invested in by IMC Australia and Bach Mai Hospital Vietnam in 1997 under the name of Vietnam International Hospital, the first foreign invested hospital in Vietnam. By 2000, France’s Eukaria S.A acquired the stakes of IMC Australia at the hospital and named it French Hospital of Hanoi.

It is the first time the hospital has decided to expand investment after more than 10 years of operating.

“We appreciate the potential of Vietnam’s market. The increase of local people’s income has led to a greater demand for reliable and modern healthcare services in Vietnam,” said Billion.

The number of Vietnamese patients in HFH has risen in the past few years, with 80 per cent of patients Vietnamese.

“We are always overloaded,” said Paul Teniere, general director of HFH.

The HFH’s expansion is opposite to many stalled foreign invested hospital projects across country.

The $50 million International American Hospital project, which was licenced in 1997, has not yet to go into operation . The project’s investor US-based Keystone Development Management has just resumed the construction of the project late last year after more than 10 years of delays.

Taiwan External Trade Development Council and National Taiwan University Hospital late last year announced the cancellation of a $180 million Taiwan-Vietnam healthy living park project in Ho Chi Minh City because of failing to mobilise enough investment capital.

Meanwhile, the construction of another foreign invested $400 million healthcare complex in the second city is still at slow pace.