Nhan Dan Newspaper and Bach Mai Hospital sign strategic cooperation agreement

On the afternoon of May 7, in Ha Noi, Bach Mai Hospital (the Ministry of Health) and Nhan Dan Newspaper held a signing ceremony for a strategic cooperation agreement between Nhan Dan Newspaper and Bach Mai Hospital.

Sharing information at the signing ceremony, Associate Professor, Doctor Dao Xuan Co, Director of Bach Mai Hospital, said “As healthcare professionals, we understand very well that the people’s trust in the medical field is built not only on advanced techniques, on successfully treating difficult cases, or on modern facilities, but also on the understanding, sharing, and companionship of the entire society.”

In that journey, the press plays a particularly important role as a bridge between the hospital and the people; it is the place to convey the guidelines of the Party, the policies and laws of the State, and Government to the medical staff. At the same time, it is the voice reflecting the thoughts and aspirations of the people and patients, as well as the difficulties and pressures faced by doctors, to the relevant authorities, he noted.

In particular, during the recent extremely difficult periods for the healthcare sector, especially the COVID-19 pandemic and the post-pandemic period with immense pressure on mechanisms, human resources, social psychology, and media, we truly felt the profound support and companionship of the press. Many journalists went directly to the intensive care units, emergency departments, and infectious disease treatment areas, witnessing the sacrifices, pressures, and losses of the medical staff. From this, articles and reports not only provided information but also carried humanistic value, contributing to strengthening social trust, spreading the spirit of solidarity, and protecting the positive values of the medical profession.

Associate Professor, Doctor Dao Xuan Co emphasised that Nhan Dan Newspaper not only accompanies Bach Mai in healthcare communication but also consistently demonstrates its role in guiding society, spreading correct, objective, scientific, and humanistic values in the field of public health care. He added that to gain public trust, the healthcare sector needs to listen; for sustainable development, hospitals need to be open to feedback; and especially to better serve the people, and Bach Mai Hospital need the companionship, constructive criticism, sharing, and objective oversight from the press.

Therefore, in the coming time, Bach Mai Hospital hopes to continue receiving even closer cooperation from Nhan Dan Newspaper as well as from other media agencies in areas such as: public health education and communication; spreading the humanistic values of medical professionals; combating misinformation and fake news in the healthcare field, he noted.

In his speech, Le Quoc Minh, Member of the Party Central Committee (PCC), Editor-in-Chief of Nhan Dan Newspaper, Deputy Head of the PCC’s Commission for Communications, Education and Mass Mobilisation, and President of the Viet Nam Journalists Association stated that Bach Mai Hospital is a place that provides healthcare for the people, while Nhan Dan Newspaper aims to serve the people’s mental health with the motto “Where there are people, there is Nhan Dan Newspaper.” Both units share the common goal of serving the people, and the signing of this strategic cooperation agreement is very appropriate.

In particular, during discussions with the hospital’s leadership, both sides saw many new avenues for collaboration to make Nhan Dan Newspaper’s content more diverse and engaging; this collaboration will help Nhan Dan Newspaper, in addition to its traditional journalistic content on policy and socio-economic issues, to have more opportunities to innovate its communication methods in a more effective way. Indeed, this will lead to closer engagement and better service to the public.

Previously, Nhan Dan Newspaper and Bach Mai Hospital organised a sports exchange programme between the two units, featuring table tennis and badminton. This was an opportunity for officials, doctors, nurses, reporters, editors, and employees of both units to interact, share experiences, and promote the development of physical education and sports activities within both units, thereby improving the health of staff and employees.