More than 100 exhibitors from 25 countries and territories will showcase their latest products and technologies used in the medical, pharmaceutical and hospital industries at the 13^th Pharmed & Healthcare Vietnam in HCM City next week.

The annual expo at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre in District 7 will be an opportunity to network for medical equipment and drug companies and for foreign exhibitors to find local distributors and business partners.

On display will be drugs, drug manufacturing and packaging machinery, diagnostic equipment, healthcare and rehabilitation equipment, surgical instruments, beauty care equipment and products, and others.

There will be various seminars on the medical, pharmaceutical and hospital industries, including on smart healthcare in the industry 4.0 era, updates on management of medical devices in Viet Nam and the use of technology in the pharmaceutical industry.

Hua Phu Doan, deputy chairman of the HCM City Medical Equipment Association, told a press conference in HCM City yesterday (September 11) that the Vietnamese market is growing at 17-18 per cent annually with imported equipment accounting for more than 90 per cent.

Last year it spent more than US$1.2 billion on imports and the figure is expected to cross $1.6 billion this year, he said.

More than 55 per cent of the country’s imports are from five countries -- Japan, Germany, the US, Singapore, and China – he said.

Only 50 medical equipment manufacturers have been licensed in Viet Nam, he said.

The expo, to be held from September 19 to 22, will be organised by ADPEX JSC, the Central Health Communication and Education Centre, the Viet Nam Pharmaceutical Companies Association, and the Viet Nam Medical Products Import – Export Joint Stock Company. —VNS