Department Information
1. History
- Early days: Originating as the Respiratory Unit under the A9 Emergency Department.
- 1981: The Respiratory Department was officially established (Decision No. 506/BYT-QĐ).
- 2011: The Respiratory Center was established to meet growing demands for specialized pulmonary care.
- Current Scale: The Center now operates with 135 inpatient beds and a team of 93 dedicated medical professionals.
2. Organizational Structure & Human Resources
The Center's team of 93 staff includes:
- Medical Staff: 31 Doctors (1 Assoc. Prof., 6 PhDs, 3 Level II Specialists, 22 Masters).
- Nursing & Technical Staff: 49 Nurses (including Specialists and Bachelors), 2 Technicians, and 2 Medical Secretaries.
3. Functions and Missions
- Clinical Excellence: Providing top-tier diagnosis and treatment for respiratory diseases as a national tertiary referral center.
- Education & Training: Leading clinical training for undergraduate and postgraduate students from Hanoi Medical University and other institutions.
- Public Health Programs: Acting as the focal point for the Ministry of Health's national programs on:
- Prevention and control of COPD and Asthma.
- Tobacco harm prevention and cessation.
- Healthcare Support (Line Support): Providing professional guidance and technology transfer to provincial hospitals across Northern and Central Vietnam.
- Research & International Cooperation: Collaborating with international organizations in clinical trials, research, and the implementation of advanced diagnostic technologies.
4. Key Clinical Highlights & Advanced Techniques
The Center is renowned for successfully managing rare and complex pulmonary conditions such as interstitial lung disease, sarcoidosis, BOOP, pulmonary alveolar proteinosis, and Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM).
Key Specialized Techniques:
- Interventional Pulmonology: Flexible bronchoscopy, airway stenting for tracheal stenosis (due to scarring or cancer), electrocautery for tumors, and Endobronchial Ultrasound (EBUS) for mediastinal lymph node biopsy.
- Pulmonary Function Testing: Advanced diagnostics including Body Plethysmography, FeNO measurement, and specialized lung function tests.
- Sleep Medicine: Comprehensive sleep studies (Respiratory polygraphy and Polysomnography) for sleep apnea and related disorders.
- Pulmonary Rehabilitation: Specialized techniques including airway clearance, breathing exercises, and the 6-minute walk test (6MWT).
- Multidisciplinary Consultation: Weekly collaborative boards (MDT) for interstitial lung disease and complex cases to ensure optimal, personalized treatment plans.
