HCMC – Novartis Vietnam, an international healthcare company, has partnered with the HCMC University Medicines Center (UMC) to introduce a comprehensive transplantation management program aimed at enhancing transplantation care in Vietnam.
This innovative program leverages technology and expertise to address existing gaps and improve patient outcomes. At its core is the UMC Care mobile app, which has garnered a user base of 80,000 since its launch in 2021.
In this collaboration, the UMC Care app serves as a platform for hospital-patient interactions, streamlining disease management, organ donation processes, and pre- and post-transplantation communication.
The app also provides resources for UMC to establish a patient education program focused on transplantation.
According to Dr. Pham Van Tan, deputy director of the HCMC University Medicines Center, the partnership will provide patients in the country with access to reliable sources of information while enabling real-time connectivity between transplantation patients and their medical professionals.
Vietnam has seen a significant increase in organ transplants, with around 7,500 procedures performed by March 2023.
The success rate of these organ transplants is on par with other countries in the region, with a post-transplant success rate of over 95% immediately following the procedure, and a five-year survival rate ranging between 85-90%. Kidney transplants account for 90% of cases, while heart, liver, lung, and pancreas transplants make up the remaining 10%.
However, Vietnam continues to face challenges in this field, including organ scarcity, coordination issues, treatment adherence, and knowledge gaps in post-transplant care.
Karina Ng, country president at Novartis Vietnam, emphasized the company’s commitment to addressing these challenges and supporting Vietnam’s healthcare system.
Since 2018, UMC has actively engaged in organ transplantation, managing nearly 100 kidney and 50 liver transplant patients. Over the next three to five years, UMC plans to prioritize transplantation, culminating in the establishment of a Transplantation Excellence Centre in southern Vietnam.
