One of the most important projects completed by the East Meets West Foundation in 2003—at least from the perspective of sick children in Central Vietnam—is the new Pediatrics Department at Hue Central Hospital (HCH) in Thua Thien Hue province, the next province north of Da Nang.

The old pediatrics department was severely dilapidated and uncomfortable for patients, and so the new facility is a huge improvement for doctors, medical personnel and patients alike.

The new pediatrics department is a four-floor building with 200 beds and a clinic for out-patients. It is divided into 16 specialties with separate wards and examination rooms, an imagery unit (X-ray, sonograms and MRI), a laboratory, emergency rooms and an intensive care unit. There are also wards for neonatopathology, respiratory illness, digestive disorders, urological and genital diseases, nephrology, allergy, cardiology, psychiatry, blood diseases, endocrinology and malnutrition. There is also a rehabilitation facility.

The pediatrics facility is quite modern by the standards of medial buildings in Central Vietnam. There are two large rooms for recreation full of toys appropriate for children of different ages, and eight dining rooms for patients. An air-conditioned conference room is available for staff and students from the medical school. East Meets West installed two hospital-grade elevators, which are able to lift patients in rolling beds or on stretchers as well as heavy furniture. A medical gases system reaches each of the specialty areas with the appropriate gases and was built to modern specifications. There are video monitors to inform patients’ families about the presence of their relatives at any ward of the department, TVs and VCRs for the patients and a modern fire-prevention and suppression system installed.

Today, the new pediatric department is really a confidentplace for ill children of Hue city as well as other provinces in central region.In the domain of construction, furniture and facilities, Hue Pediatric Department is truly the most modern children hospital in the region. On the other hand, this beautiful and comfortable pediatric department has a noble meaning symbolizing a lovely donation, which bears the spirit of humane of a sincere friendship between the two peoples Vietnam and America.