At 14:00, on Jan 18, 2013, at Nha Be District Hospital (281A Le Van Luong St, Hamlet 3, Phuoc Kien Commune, Nha Be Dist., HCMC) – the Lawrence S. Ting Foundation and Phu My Hung JV Corporation held the inauguration ceremony of the new kidney dialysis unit.

The kidney dialysis unit at Nha Be District Hospital is a project which was built and donated by the Phu My Hung JV Corporation (as main contributor with VND 1.751 billion) and other companies through Lawrence S. Ting Foundation including: Sino Pacific Construction Consultancy Company, Vietinbank – HCMC branch, and the TungKuang Industrial Joint Stock Company. The total cost of construction was VND 2.251 billion.

The “Kidney Dialysis Unit” was built on an area of 200 m2 within the working area of Nha Be District Hospital with functional care rooms (such as kidney dialysis room, RO water treatment room, material storage room, etc.) In the beginning, the unit would be put to use with five dialysis machines which can treat 15 people a day. In the future, if the number of patients increases more machines (up to fifteen) will be installed.

At the moment, there are over 6,723 patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Nha Be District and about 10-20 cases diagnosed with CKD every month (not including the number of patients with more serious cases that are transferred to other hospitals in the city). Although the city has more than twenty hospitals with a combined total of nearly 400 dialysis machines when operating at full capacity, it still cannot cope with the ever increasing number of patients in need of treatment. Moreover, neighboring areas around Nha Be District such as: Neon Trach District in Dong Nai Province, Can Giuoc District in Long An Province, Can Gio District, District 7, do not have kidney dialysis units. Thus, the establishment of such a unit at Nha Be District Hospital is both pressing and of great significance, it is good news for patients with CKD to have a medical facility closer to them for treatment.

Currently, Nha Be District Hospital is cooperating with Global TME Co., Ltd and has entered into a profit sharing agreement. Their total investment will be USD 309,500 over a 6-year period beginning from the date when the dialysis machines are first put into operation. After 6 years, the company will hand over all dialysis machines to the hospital. Moreover, Global TME Co., Ltd is helping the hospital with technical support in running the machines and coordinating with better equipped hospitals to help train staff, provide doctors specializing in kidney care, as well as nurses for the hospital, etc.

According to the latest news from Nha Be District Hospital, after the inauguration of the kidney dialysis unit, they have completed the inspection of the RO water treatment system, and submitted documents to the city’s Department of Health for a business license and approval of health insurance fees. It is expected that, at the beginning of March 2013, the unit will officially be put into use to treat patients.

The donation to Nha Be District hospital is part of a public health care program to commemorate Mr. Ferdinand P. Tsien, late Chairman of CT&D Group and Phu My Hung JV Corporation. While alive, he contributed to the many social charity activities of the CT&D Group and the Phu My Hung JV Corporation in Vietnam.