Hospital plan in fine health

“I gonna say given the support we already got from the local government in Hai Duong and the support we already seen in higher government authorities, I’m thinking that we could probably see the licence application fast tracked and the certificate for the hospital will come true,” Triple Eye Infrastructure Corporation general director Marc Kealey told VIR last week.

Triple Eye Infrastructure Corporation is a company specialised in healthcare infrastructure in Canada and in association with Vietnam’s Dai An Joint Stock Company, it several months ago proposed to build a 200-bed international hospital in Hai Duong, worth $160 million. This is the first investment project of Triple Eye in Vietnam and the first international hospital in Hai Duong.

Vietnam’s healthcare system is currently overloaded, however, this also offers potential opportunities for foreign investors to build hospitals in Vietnam.

Kealey said he saw profitable healthcare sector investment in Vietnam as the lack of high-qualified hospitals in the country saw many Vietnamese spend money on overseas healthcare services.

He said the money spent outside Vietnam for healthcare could reach $5 billion.

“We look at in this context that we could repay money back to the hospital, we could design and build hospital and do all procurements,” added Kealey.

Given the strong support of leaders in Hai Duong province and good relationship with Dai An Joint Stock Company, Kealey said the joint venture planned to break ground of this project in the first quarter of next year and the construction work would complete in 2015.

In recent years, some foreign and domestic investors have recognised the potential of Vietnam’s healthcare sector, but most selected big cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

For Triple Eye, Hai Duong – about 60 kilometres north east of Hanoi – is a good location.

“How do we recoup patients to the hospital? People from Hanoi will come to Hai Duong and from Haiphong to Hai Duong. We believe the expansion of the Highway 5 will make it a better location. It’s fantastic, the opportunity is great. I think we picked the right location and the right partner,” said Kealey.