The Vietnamese hospital, named Thien Phuoc («Grace of God»), was inaugurated by Archbishop Jean Baptiste Pham Minh Man in the presence of priests, religious and city and state authorities.
The opening of the clinic, in what used to be Saigon, is in accord with a policy of privatization undertaken by the Hanoi government. The hospital is staffed by 24 doctors and 26 nurses, most of them women religious.
Dr. Joseph Dinh Viet, a staffer, said the inauguration is a confirmation by the Vietnamese authorities of the professionalism and dedication of the country’s Catholic doctors and nurses.
The clinic’s administrative council said the primary purpose of the facility is not to make a profit but rather to serve the needy.
