Roche committed to be top trusted partner for healthcare in Vietnam

Roche Vietnam signed a strategic partnership project with the Vietnam Medical Association to increase access to innovative treatment for breast cancer patients

Roche has advanced the standards of diagnosis and treatment globally and in Vietnam, going beyond only supplying tests and medicines to focus on improving the entire healthcare ecosystem that impacts patient wellbeing.

In response to the fast-growing needs in digital healthcare, Roche Vietnam has sponsored several virtual medical conferences for healthcare professionals to share knowledge across several areas. In collaboration with the National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion, Roche hosted a virtual scientific conference for haematology experts to discuss haemophilia and update innovative methods in prophylaxis treatment.

As a global leader for complete donor screening solutions to blood centres worldwide, Roche recognises this challenge and is committed to keeping the blood supply safe. In Vietnam, Roche has provided blood screening solutions for more than 80 per cent of total blood donations nationwide at 16 blood centres.

Besides this, the Swiss healthcare company supported K Hospital in establishing an online doctor consultation via livestream to allow patients and their families access trustworthy healthcare information from the safety and convenience of their home. This has been hailed as one of the most effective solutions in helping patients living far from hospitals to access information from oncologists during periods of social distancing.

Telehealth, kicked off by the Ministry of Health (MoH) last year, is deemed a vital solution that enables healthcare experts to deliver high-quality care when physicians or patients cannot make it to the hospitals. The new approach requires a solution where the potential of treating breast cancer patients with innovative subcutaneous therapy comes in.

This administration under the skin has been shown to be effective for most patients as it requires less time for treatment and reduces direct contacts in the clinics, as well as reduces overload for downstream hospitals.

Roche’s employees volunteer in educational activities for children

For the last 27 years, Roche has been working with Vietnam to improve healthcare through various activities, moving beyond the traditional role of pharmaceutical companies as mere providers of therapies to a strong focus on partnering with the government, hospitals, and doctors to comprehensively improve the entire healthcare ecosystem.

Based around the goal to achieve better outcomes for more patients faster, the company is fundamentally transforming how it is organised and operates to centre itself on the needs of the healthcare ecosystem and address challenges today in delivering high-quality and cost-effective healthcare in Vietnam. While change is never easy, the early signs indicate they are making tangible progress towards achieving their purpose.

Roche has inked strategic partnerships with the MoH, the Vietnam Medical Association (VMA), and key hospitals in prevention and control of non-communicable diseases. The partnerships allow to leverage activities on enhancing healthcare professionals’ experience, connecting them in cooperation activities with local and international organisations, and building up awareness about diseases, prevention, and treatment.

The VMA and Roche Vietnam have signed a strategic partnership to implement a specialised and comprehensive project to improve breast cancer treatment across the country via a series of collaborations during 2020-2025. Moreover, this year, Roche signed several MoUs signifying commitment to the Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital, Hanoi Oncology Hospital, Cho Ray, and Bach Mai Hospital to strengthen awareness about breast cancer and improve diagnosis and treatment abilities at the hospitals.

Priority will be given to increasing access to advanced therapies for high-risk patients and supporting optimised databases built by Vietnam Social Security and the National Cancer Institute.

Breast cancer is becoming more prevalent in Vietnam with some 15,000 Vietnamese women being newly diagnosed every year. Roche Vietnam, in coordination with the Bright Future Fund, the MoH, the VMA, and hospitals, has over the past seven years conducted a comprehensive “Joining Hands for Her” programme. Last year, the campaign offered free screening tests to more than 72,000 women and trained over 600 healthcare professionals to improve capabilities for the Vietnamese healthcare system.

To be sustainable, businesses need to evolve internally and sometimes faster than the pace of external environment change. Roche has transformed its ways of working to be more agile, less hierarchical, and more collaborative to deliver the greatest value and make meaningful differences to customers, patients, and society.

Girish Mulye, general director of Roche Vietnam said, “As a global company that combines pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and increasingly health insights, we have an opportunity to be a strong partner for healthcare systems to tackle shared challenges. To deliver better outcomes for more patients faster, Roche Vietnam also evolves the way that businesses operate, that is by building meaningful connections and partnerships with healthcare professionals and hospitals, while our employees frequently engage in volunteer philanthropic works.”