Vietnam, Austria Enhance Health Cooperation

The Austrian government will strengthen bilateral cooperation with Vietnam in the field of healthcare services, Ambassador to Vietnam Georg Heindl said on the 55th anniversary of Austria’s National Day [Oct 26]. Austria wanted to support Vietnam in general and Ho Chi Minh City in particular in some areas of environment, fire prevention and vocational training, Heindl was quoted by the Sai Gon Giai Phong newspaper as saying Oct 28. Many foreign firms are keen on investing in Vietnam’s health sector, namely India, South Korea, France and the U.S. By end Jun 2010, Vietnam’s health sector attracted 70 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects with a total registered capital of nearly $1 billion. Vietnam ranks the 51st among 191 nations worldwide in terms of health-system attainment and performance, a report by the World Health Organization (WHO) showed. (Sai Gon Giai Phong – Saigon Liberation Oct 28 p1)