Healthcare is one of the three key areas of operation for GE in Vietnam, along with aviation and energy. Statistics show that more than half of all clinics and hospitals in the country have at least one piece of GE medical technology or equipment. However, the journey of GE Healthcare Vietnam does not only revolve around state-of-the-art medical equipment and technologies. Stories about two GE Healthcare staffs supporting the medical industry show another side of painstaking commitment and personal investment.
Transforming imaging diagnosis
Ha Thuc Nhan manages the GE Healthcare’s magnetic resonance products for the Vietnamese market, including product applications and trainings. He has experienced several ups and downs in the field of imaging diagnosis in Vietnam.
Having been in charge of the field for nearly 4 years, Nhan has had the chance to visit many hospitals across the country and see with his own eyes the gradual evolution of equipment and technologies. A far cry from the early machines, many Vietnamese hospitals are now equipped with GE's latest equipment such as MRI 3.0 Tesla with Silent technology, Computed Tomography Revolution ACTs, and Revolution CT 512-Slice Computed Tomography.
Nhan spent one month supporting Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital to operate a field hospital during the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak. He came to understand the hard work of medical professionals, the importance of reliable equipment as well as the skills of the operators.
“In Vietnam, there are roughly 8,000 imaging technicians but only one out of every 20 can fully implement magnetic resonance diagnostics. Vietnamese technicians are particularly smart as they can master 90 per cent of the machine functions after two to three weeks of training. However, there hasn't been any customization for individual patient yet. GE Healthcare and I have both struggled with this issue over the years,” Nhan added.
To tackle this challenge, under the auspices of GE Healthcare, Nhan has been organizing workshops to train and share knowledge with imaging technicians. The workshops are organized twice a month with different themes related to imaging diagnosis. Speakers include not only GE personnel but also practicing imaging technicians. By exchanging expertise and discussing real-life cases, imaging technicians are offered access to the best practices in the industry. After two years, the programme has been recognized by industry stakeholders and become an open forum for professionals.
“Besides bringing cutting-edge technology, GE hopes to improve the skills of imaging technicians who play a key role in the success of treatments and the medical industry in general. I believe that the efforts of GE and myself will pay off with a generation of more skilled, flexible, and professional radiologists and imaging technicians,” he added.
Contributions to women’s healthcare
Like Ha Thuc Nhan, Bach Hai Long, manager of Women's Healthcare Ultrasound, GE Healthcare Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, believes he has long connection to lead him to work in ultrasound. Long’s parents worked in the field of obstetrics and gynecology. When he was young, he often went to hospitals with his parents, which sparked his interest in women's healthcare.
"Ultrasound were my parents’ essential equipment. Working towards my childhood dream has made me the manager of ultrasound machines at GE, where I have a chance to support the healthcare sector and indirectly improve women's health. My job is also my passion,” Long said.
GE launched its first real-time ultrasound transducer in 1977. Over the past four decades, the company has been pushing the limits of technology to develop world-leading ultrasound technologies. Each new technology has completely transformed the field of women’s healthcare. GE’s 3D/4D technology helps expectant parents to see their baby before birth. Meanwhile, the company’s transducer technologies featuring high-resolution imaging help detect fetal abnormalities from an early stage. GE has also developed advanced echocardiographic technologies for the fetal heart.
Long is always proud of being part of GE Healthcare for the past years as he can help bring the leading technologies to Vietnam to provide better care for women. Similar to the magnetic resonance field, GE Healthcare Vietnam regularly invites international ultrasound experts to participate in short training courses in Vietnam to improve the knowledge of local practitioners, in both online platform and offline workshop.
One of these activities included the organization of a series of webinars leveraging the lectures of top-notch experts. The company has invited well known Vietnamese doctors to study and analyze the lectures as well as share best practices when applying these techniques in Vietnam. The workshops have been very successful, drawing in the participation of many doctors. The company also partners with leading doctors to implement new ultrasound techniques on clinical cases in Vietnam. Then doctors can continue to share on their social media channels to many more experts in the field.
“Providing visibility and access to new techniques and knowledge for doctors will improve the quality of care for Vietnamese women, leading to a better health. This is part of the sustainable development agenda that GE Healthcare Vietnam is pursuing to add more values to the healthcare sector and the people of Vietnam,” Long added.
The mission of GE Healthcare
Ha Thuc Nhan and Bach Hai Long are among hundreds of GE Healthcare staffs working tirelessly to improve the quality of healthcare in Vietnam. GE Healthcare operates in three key areas in Vietnam including imaging diagnosis, anesthesia resuscitation, and training.
Over the past 30 years, GE Healthcare has been relentless in its efforts to build a stronger healthcare sector. More than half of clinics and hospitals in Vietnam have at least one piece of GE medical technology/equipment. These include Vietnam’s leading hospitals such as Hospital 108, Huu Nghi Hospital, Viet Duc Hospital, Bach Mai Hospital, and FV Hospital. Many of the latest equipment for ultrasound, magnetic resonance, and anesthesia have been brought to the Vietnamese market by GE Healthcare.
In 2012, GE Healthcare signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Health to increase people’s access to quality healthcare across the country. In 2015, the company signed another MoU with Bach Mai Hospital on bilateral cooperation in implementing human resources training programmes. In July 2016, GE Healthcare entered into a collaboration with VSA and Viet Medical to launch the Simulation Training Lab for Anesthesia and Intensive Care at Viet Duc Hospital. Later in the same year, GE Healthcare cooperated with the Vietnam Society of Anesthesiologists (VSA), Viet Duc Hospital, and Viet Medical to launch the Simulation Training Lab for Anesthesia and Intensive Care. In 2018, in collaboration with Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine and T.D Medical Company, it launched the new Advanced Imaging Training Center. More important milestones await down the line as GE Healthcare continues implementing training programmes and supporting the healthcare sector.
“GE Healthcare understands that people are at the core of our operation. Therefore, the company always gives precedence to its human resource as one of the most important strategies. We are proud to be a part of those silent contributions, striving for a healthier Vietnam,” Nhan noted.