First Clinic for Vietnamese in Japan Put into Operation

The fact that a clinic for Vietnamese in Japan officially put into operation is one of activities to continue to support and create favourable conditions for the nearly 500,000 overseas Vietnamese living, working, and studying in Japan.

Hannah Nguyen

ngminhphuong26@gmail.com May 05, 2023 | 12:25

A doctor is giving medical check to a patient at T-Matsuoka Medical Clinic Kanda. Photo: VNA

The first medical clinic for Vietnamese in Japan, the T-Matsuoka Medical Clinic Kanda in Tokyo, was officially inaugurated on April 28, as part of activities marking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties, and received the first patients on May 1, VNA reported Monday.

With a team of both Vietnamese and Japanese doctors and interpreters, T-Matsuoka Medical Clinic Kanda is expected to become a reliable medical care destination for the Vietnamese community, helping them overcome language difficulties when communicating with doctors during the examination process.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, doctor Matsuoka Yoshinori thanked the Vietnamese and Japanese Governments for supporting the opening of the first clinic of its kind in Hanoi and the second in Kanda, Tokyo. He vowed to keep striving to develop into a health care bridge between the two countries.

Following an important diplomatic mission since the establishment of T-Matsuoka Medical Center in Hanoi, the birth of T-Matsuoka Medical Clinic Kanda for Vietnamese living in Japan affirms the new milestone of completing the "medical bridge", helping the communities of the two countries enjoy high-quality health care services.

At the opening ceremony. Photo courtesy of the center

Kato Koko, former Chief Advisor of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet Secretariat shared during the ceremony, "I once attended the opening ceremony of T-Matsuoka Medical Center in Vietnam in September last year. I was surprised and admired that the clinic was able to open another facility in Japan so quickly."

With this strong development, Kato, who also is managing director of the Industrial Heritage Information Centre, believes that T-Matsuoka Medical Center in the two countries will help in taking care of the health of the people of the two countries.

For his part, Chargé d'affaires of the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan Nguyen Duc Minh described the opening of the clinic as an important event for not only the Vietnamese community in Japan but also bilateral ties, especially on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations.

Vietnamese continue to be the second largest expat community in Japan with over 489,000 at present.

First Clinic for Vietnamese in Japan Put into Operation

Inside the T-Matsuoka Medical Clinic Kanda in Tokyo. Photo courtesy of Nguyen Lan Viet Anh

Japan is one of Vietnam’s most important strategic partners in official development assistance (ODA), trade, and investment. The bilateral relationship has been constantly developing across fields.

The country sent 37,923 labourers abroad in the first three months of 2023, accounting for 34.48% of the whole year plan, and more than 15 times higher than the same period in 2022. Each year, about 100,000 Vietnamese young interns and workers arrive in Japan.

Last month, four central hospitals included the Central Lung Hospital, the National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusions, the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases, and Da Nang C Hospital, received the first batch of medical equipment donated by the Government of Japan.

The donated medical equipment is part of Japan’s grant worth over JPY 1.9 billion (USD 14.15 million) to support Vietnam's responses to communicable diseases.