HCM City will carry out a pilot projectto build a network of doctors specialising in family medicine in itsdistricts by 2010 in order to improve health services, according to thehead of the municipal Department of Health.

NguyenVan Chau said the city would set up offices for family medicinespecialists at three preventive health centres in districts 1, 8 and CuChi and the Viet Gia and Thanh Cong private general health clinics.

If the offices operate effectively, the department will expand the model in other districts.

An association of family doctors will also be created to help the department build the network.

Chau said that all of the doctors’ offices would be equipped with modern facilities.

The family doctors’ facilities in HCM City Medicine University , NguyenTri Phuong Hospital , People’s Hospital 115 and Gia Dinh People’sHospital will be responsible for offering professional advice to thefive offices.

Liege University in Belgium will help finance the purchase of equipment and machinery.

Chau said that the network of family doctors would be a permanentsolution to the overload of patients in the city’s hospitals, and wouldassist in developing a health insurance law at the grassroots level.

“It is necessary to set up a network of family doctors in Vietnam ,” he said.

Family medicine physicians can treat from 70 to 80 percent of the most common ailments or diseases.

In Vietnam , family medicine has been recognised as a specialty since2002. HCM City Medicine University has trained 31 doctors in the field.

Pham Ngoc Thach Medical University and the city health sector have sent16 doctors to Belgium to attend courses in family medicine./.