The Ministry of Health has assigned relevant units to implement a project to establish proton therapy centers at three major hospitals across Vietnam, including National Cancer Hospital (K Hospital) in Hanoi, Hue Central Hospital in Thua Thien-Hue province, and Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, local media reported.
The information was shared during a recent meeting between the health ministry and relevant agencies to review the project’s progress.
Investment preparations for the centers are set to begin in 2025, with completion targeted between 2026 and 2030. The project is expected to propose insurance coverage rates, prioritizing children and the elderly.
According to the Global Cancer Observatory (Globocan), Vietnam records169,547 new cancer cases annually, with around 60% of patients requiring radiation therapy. However, the country currently lacks high-tech proton therapy machines.
Vietnam currently has 84 linear accelerator radiotherapy machines, meeting only 60%-70% of local basic demand. To reach the government and health ministry’s goal of at least one radiotherapy machine per million people, an additional 35-40 new machines are needed in the coming years. (Tuoi Tre English)