Hanoi – On 10 December, the inauguration ceremony of the new Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Hospital of the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Hue University took place in Hue, in central Vietnam. The facility, which will host 150 beds, was built under the AID 9627 initiative titled “Improvement of Health Services in Selected Areas of Central Vietnam and at Hue College of Medicine and Pharmacy”. The project is financed by the Italian Government through a soft loan amounting to a total of 12,760,000 euros.
Attending the ceremony on the Italian side were the Italian Ambassador to Vietnam, Marco Della Seta; the Head of the AICS office in Hanoi, Dr. Margherita Lulli; Dr. Luca Sartorelli, WASH Officer; and Dung Quoc Nguyen, Liaison Officer of the office.
Representing Vietnam were senior officials from the Provincial Authorities, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education and Training, and other central government bodies, including: Phan Quy Phuong – Vice Chairman of the Hue City People’s Committee; Nguyen Tien Dung – Deputy Director General of the International Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Education and Training; Dr. Bui Van Loi – Acting Vice President of Hue University; Prof. Nguyen Vu Quoc Huy – Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Hue University and host of the event; and Dr. Nguyen Khoa Hung – Director of the University Hospital.
The event also saw the participation of a large delegation from Sardinia, led by Pietro Cappuccinelli, Emeritus Professor at the University of Sassari and former Full Professor of Clinical Microbiology. Professor Cappuccinelli is a well-known figure in Hue, being among the principal promoters of the long-standing scientific collaboration between the two universities, which led to the creation of a joint international Master’s programme in biomedicine.
The day began with a closed-door meeting with the authorities, followed by a ceremony attended by medical staff, professors, students, and members of civil society. The representatives then moved to the new facility, where the ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the official completion of the construction works.
A particularly meaningful moment was the tribute paid to Carlo Urbani, the Italian doctor who in 2003 was the first to identify and classify SARS. While on mission in Vietnam, Urbani contracted the disease himself and succumbed to it, sacrificing his life as part of an extraordinary commitment to safeguarding public health. In his memory, Hue University’s Epidemiology Center bears his name, symbolising a legacy that remains alive and relevant in the field of development cooperation, dedicated to the protection and safeguarding of human life.
During the ceremony, Ambassador Della Seta underlined: “The health project with Hue University reflects the cooperation between Italy and Vietnam, based on shared values and a long-standing friendship, also demonstrated by the exemplary dedication of Carlo Urbani. It is a partnership that continues to deliver concrete results for the inclusive improvement of health standards in the country.”
Dr. Lulli, Head of the AICS office in Hanoi, added: “Collaboration with the ministries and local authorities has been crucial to the success of the project. Today, the Italian Cooperation renews its commitment to supporting Vietnamese women and children, because the right to health is universal.”
The strong and heartfelt participation of authorities, faculty members and students clearly testified to the success of the initiative, reinforcing the tangible contribution of the Italian Cooperation in strengthening the health sector in Vietnam. Particularly in the province of Hue, this commitment has grown over time through targeted investments in research, training, and capacity-building, as well as in the construction of infrastructure and the provision of modern medical equipment.
Here the Joint Press Release from the AICS Hanoi Office and the Italian Embassy in Vietnam.
