Several hospitals in southern cities and provinces have startedconducting check-ups and treatments for seriously ill patients throughthe internet in a new pilot programme.

The project is carried out by the HCM City Department of Health,Department of Information and Communications and hospitals in southerncities and provinces.

Participating hospitalsinclude Cu Chi General Hospital in HCM City , Gia Lai, Ben Tre,An Giang and Kien Giang general hospitals and Tu Du Obstetric Hospital,Trauma and Orthopedics Hospital and Peadiatric Hospital No.1 inHCM City .

Patients in provincial areas will receive guidance from doctors in the city hospitals via the internet.

It will help reduce costs for the patients, according to the Department of Health.

Nguyen Thanh Hung, deputy head of the City Peadiatric Hospital No 1,one of the city's hospitals piloting the project, said doctors inprovincial hospitals would benefit by receiving the latest knowledge andmethods to prevent and treat disease from doctors in city hospitals.

Le Truong Giang, the department's deputy head, saidthe hospitals had staff available 24 hours a day in order to helpdoctors in provincial hospitals.

In the north, thismethod of check-up and treatment has already been implemented at BachMai Hospital and the Viet Nam National Hospital of Peadiatrics.

They both help provincial hospitals treat patients whohave serious and complicated conditions and they offer the latesttreatment methods. /.