Intensive Care Training Programme Report

Oxford University Clinical Research Unit

Dragon Capital ICU Training Report

Introduction

The Dragon Capital Intensive Care Training Program is an initiative led by OUCRU and funded by Dragon Capital’s COVID-19 Response Fund. Its primary goal is to deliver high-quality intensive care training to healthcare professionals across Vietnam.

Over the last 3 years, the program has strengthened national healthcare capacity, built formal partnerships with international experts, and contributed to improved care for patients with lifethreatening conditions. It has also enhanced preparedness for future pandemics. Through a multidisciplinary approach, the program has supported the training of many doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, and pharmacists, fostering a more integrated and resilient healthcare workforce.

The program has focused on 2 main activities:

Supporting training in Vietnam

ICU Training Report

Supporting advanced ICU training for Vietnamese doctors and nurses outside of Vietnam.

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Support Training in Vietnam

CME-Certified mechanical ventilation training course A total of 173 doctors and 106 nurses across Southern Vietnam have been supported to attend the 3day mechanical ventilation training courses held at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Ho Chi Minh City (UMP), the Hospital for Tropical Diseases (HTD), and Dong Thap General Hospital. All training courses were bespoke, professionally structured and linked to Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits, ensuring both high-quality content and formal recognition of participants’ professional development. This included two Vietnam’s first dedicated mechanical ventilation courses for nurses.

First mechanical ventilator course for doctors at UMP on May 18th – 21st 2022

Second mechanical ventilator course for doctors at UMP on June 1st – 3rd 2022

Mechanical ventilator courses at HTD on August 17th – 19th 2022

Intensive care training delivered by Vietnam’s leading clinical experts In Northern Vietnam, doctors from 10 different provincial hospitals were invited to participate in a 10day intensive training program held at National Hospital for Tropical Diseases (NHTD). This program combined theoretical instruction with practical, hands-on experience in NHTD’s ICU ward, one of Vietnam’s leading centers for COVID-19 treatment. Participants had the opportunity to apply new skills directly in a clinical setting.

Mechanical Ventilation Course at NHTD on August 17th – 19th 2022

ICU Training Report

Advanced Dengue Care Course at HTD on July 19th 2022

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Support Training in Vietnam

In Southern Vietnam, over 120 nurses were trained in advanced dengue care through a course led by national experts at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases (HTD). In addition, 10 focused short courses were hosted by HTD, each attended by more than 100 multidisciplinary participants. These courses addressed critical areas of life-saving intensive care, including heart failure, kidney disease, and arrhythmias, etc.

Intensive care training delivered by international clinical experts World-leading ICU experts from Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals, UK, delivered training courses to over 200 ICU doctors and nurses in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in 2022 and 2024. These courses combined lectures, interactive workshops, and practical bedside teaching, providing participants with a comprehensive and hands-on learning experience.

In 2025, the program supported the first dedicated ICU training for pharmacists, focusing on the effective and safe use of medications in critical care. This session was led by Professor Catherine McKenzie, a UK-based critical care pharmacy expert from the University of Southampton. The training attracted more than 300 participants, including both doctors and pharmacists, and was delivered in a hybrid format (online and offline). The high level of engagement reflected the growing demand for multidisciplinary collaboration in intensive care settings.

ICU Training Report

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Support Training in Vietnam

The Dragon Fund supported the 8th Asia Pacific Conference on Early Mobilization in the ICU, co-hosted by the Vietnam Physical Therapy Association (VNPTA) and the Tam Anh Medical Research Institute (TAMRI). This was the first conference of its kind to be held in Vietnam, marking a significant milestone in advancing early rehabilitation practices in critical care.

The 8th Pacific Conference on Early Mobilization and Rehabilitation in ICU at TAMRI

Course translation of European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) The COVID ALIVE course by the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) was translated into Vietnamese - the first ESICM ICU course to be adapted into a foreign language. It has been integrated into WHO’s COVID-19 training resources. To support learners, a live webinar with ESICM experts was also organized, allowing direct interaction and Q&A.

ICU Training Report

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Support Training in Vietnam

Supporting for continuing education and research updates

Healthcare staff were supported to gain hands-on ICU experience at leading hospitals, including HTD, NHTD, and UMC. Two nurses from Dong Thap hospital were trained at UMC, and one doctor was trained in cardiovascular ultrasound at Thong Nhat Hospital. A total of 14 doctors and 1 nurse were supported to present their ICU research at international conferences, strengthening clinical capacity and promoting Vietnam’s role in global critical care.

Supporting advanced ICU training outside of Vietnam A total of 10 Vietnamese doctors and 2 nurses from various hospitals were given the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in world-leading ICUs at Guys and St Thomas' in London where they were able to spend 710 days in a world-leading ECMO treatment center and exchanging knowledge, joining ward round with National Health Service staff. The oportunity to go overseas and learn is very unique but allows Vietnamese doctors and nurses to observe practice in world-leading institutions.

ICU Training Report

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Contact us: Prof C. Louise Thwaites Senior Clinical Research Fellow lthwaites@oucru.org

Nguyen Thi Le Thanh Project Manager thanhntl@oucru.org

Oxford University Clinical Research Unit Centre for Tropical Medicine 764 Vo Van Kiet, Cho Quan Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam

t+ 84 28 39237954 f+ 84 28 39238904 www.oucru.org

In partnership with Hospital for Tropical Diseases