MoH seeks to boost cooperation with South Korea in COVID-19 vaccine and medicine

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan worked with South Korean Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare

The working sessions were part of a visit on December 12-15 when he accompanied National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.

On December 14, the deputy minister had an official meeting with his counterpart from the South Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare. During the event, the Vietnamese Deputy Minister proposed strengthening the cooperation in the research of bioproducts, especially research and development of COVID-19 medication, and human resource training in the field.

He also gave voice to expectations that the two ministries would develop cooperation programmes and sign more MoUs on bilateral cooperation in the field.

On the same day, Thuan had a working session with SK Plasma, KT Corporation, and Enzychem Lifescience. At the meeting with SK Plasma, which manufactures plasma-derivatives with human plasma, the representative of the company expressed his hope to cooperate and do technology transfer and manufacture plasma in Vietnam.

The Vietnamese Deputy Minister highly appreciated the company’s plan, adding that Vietnam’s Ministry of Health (MoH) will create favourable conditions for it to develop and operate a plasma factory in Vietnam prior to 2027.

To KT, a telecommunications company, Thuan told that the MoH hopes to cooperate to develop IT applications in the healthcare sector to increase its management efficiency, as well as develop a consistent and comprehensive IT system between the ministry and hospitals and health facilities nationwide.

The representative of KT affirmed that it would bring its advanced IT to Vietnam by piloting it at a hospital designated by the MoH before expanding its network across the nation.

Meeting with leaders of Enzychem Lifescience, which has been reporting success in mRNA vaccine development, Thuan requested the company to transfer technology to Vietnam so that the country can research and develop vaccines and medication. Enzychem Lifescience leaders were positive about supporting capacity building for Vietnam.

The deputy minister meeting with SK Bioscience leaders

Earlier on December 13, the representative of the MoH met with SK Bioscience and the Korea National Cancer Centre. During the meeting with SK Bioscience, the two sides discussed COVID-19 and other vaccines being produced at the company. An SK Bioscience representative said that the company hopes to cooperate with the Vietnamese government and businesses to develop an advanced vaccine factory in the country.