Distinguished delegates,

Distinguished guest of honor and the entire conference,

Today I am very pleased to attend the International Conference on Emergency which be held at Hue Central Hospital, on behalf of the Health Ministry's leadership, I would like to send to the delegates, the international guests greetings and best wishes, wish all of you healthy, happiness and success.

Distinguished guest of honor,

Emergency Medicine is a specialty with direct and instant link to human health, life and property of people and society. Medical emergency is a very important activity, rapid intervention, in time to save the lives of patients, recovery of function, limit the long-term sequelae, and reduce the burden of medical expenses for people patients and society. In Emergency Regulation edited by Ministry of Health said that: emergency, reanimation and poison control are important task. 115 units, district hospital have to organize emergency, reanimation and poison control on time for every case. Nowadays in the most of countries, emergency medicine is a new, premature specialty compared with other specialties. It is continued to develop strongly and quickly because of social requirements.

In Vietnam Emergency Medicine is begun to develop in recent years in many health care service units in the whole country and contribute to saving lives in disasters, catastrophes and epidemic diseases. However face to changes in weather, natural calamity (earthquake, tsunami...), accidents caused by human like (nuclear disaster, transport accidents, mine collapsed...), competence of response to emergency in Vietnam has a number of limit as:

- Organizing triage, especially in case of disaster and catastrophe, first aid at prehospital stage still weak, there is no emergency network.

- Emergency equipment are not synchronized, transportation devices in some provinces are limited, or due to lack of finance many people do not use special transportation, and no medical personnel supporting.

- Lack of training and practice, do not catch with the development of emergency system in the world. This leads to medical personnel shorting and having non experienced employees.

- Emergency health care service is not standardized and face with many challenges.

For this reason, in the year 1999 Vietnamese Government decided to upgrade the emergency network in the whole country. This project was begun from the year of 2000. In 2008 Ministry of Health issued new regulation in emergency, reanimation and poison control. This regulation was effected from January 21 2008 in all 115 units and all government and private hospitals. There were many new rules in this regulations, which is allow all emergency units step by step to catch with the develop of emergency medicine in the world.

At the first time to Huế in March 2010, an emergency conference was organized by the cooperation between Hue Medical and Pharmacy College, Hue Central Hospital, Thua Thien Hue Health Committee with support from Good Samaritan Foundation (USA), this was an big event and a first step to process of completion of emergency system in Vietnam.

Under MOH’s leadership, a number of emergencies conferences were held in Vietnam and the leaders of the three important hospitals including Hue Central Hospital, Cho Ray Hospital, Bach Mai Hospital are agreed in cooperation to develop emergency medicine as a medical specialty in order to improve the quality of emergency service.

In March 2011 the Emergency Conference will lead to further develop Emergency Medicine Program in Vietnam. This conference is included:

1. National Emergency Medicine Conference: One day conference for physician leaders of the Hospitals, Medical Colledges, Provincial Departments of Health, 115 Units to gather and discuss the past, current status of Emergency Medicine and look for ways to further improve the delivery of care in the near future.

2. EM/EMS Symposium: training for 60 physicians from all part of the country using the "Training the Trainers" model.

3. Nursing Symposium: 100 nurses from Hue Central Hospital, Hue Medical College and Thua Thien Provincial Department of Health improve their nursing care in emergency.

In this conference, beside presentations by Vietnamese physicians our colleges from USA will present their talks. This will encourage us in the scientific development.

We are pleased to welcome all of delegates to attend to this conference in charming Hue City, the Festival City of Vietnam. Your presence will promote the progress achieved in the field of emergency in recent time, especially since after the Emergency Regulations, Intensive Care and Antipoison issuing on Jan 21st 2008.

We would like to express our appreciation to the conference organisation committee, Thua Thien Hue Province Committee, MSA, Vietnamese Reanimation and Poison Control Association. We appreciate the cooperation between three core hospitals Hue Central Hospital, Bach Mai Hospital, Cho Ray Hospital, and especially Good Samaritan Foundation, domestic and oversea supporters, who contribute to the success of this conference.

Again, on behalf of the Ministry of Health Leaders, I wish you all the national and international delegates health, happiness and success.

Our conference will be success.

Our warmest thanks!