History of Establishment and Development
History of Establishment and Development
Before 1975, three separate institutions or programs were responsible for the principal areas of dermatology in Southern Vietnam:
Department of Dermatology at the Saigon Medical University and the Dermatology Department of Binh Dan Hospital: These departments primarily provided diagnosis and treatment for skin diseases.
National Center for Venereal Disease Eradication: Established in 1965 on the grounds of Bac Ha Hospital, which had previously served as a detention and treatment facility for women engaged in prostitution.
Hansen’s Disease (Leprosy) Eradication Program: Its headquarters were located within the Directorate of Public Health (now the Preventive Medicine Center). The primary treatment facilities comprised Outpatient Ward 21 and Inpatient Ward 10 at Cho Quan Hospital (now the Hospital for Tropical Diseases), along with four outpatient clinics (Pasteur Institute, District 11 Tuberculosis Clinic, Tan Binh District Tuberculosis Clinic, and Salve). The venereal disease and Hansen’s disease programs were both administered by the Directorate of Public Health, Ministry of Health in Saigon.
In August 1975, the Ministry of Health, Social Affairs, and Invalids of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam issued a decision renaming the National Center for Venereal Disease Eradication to Dermatology Hospital, initially equipped with 100 inpatient beds.
Beginning in October 1975, the Hansen’s Disease Eradication Program was integrated into the Dermatology Hospital.
The Ho Chi Minh City Dermatology Station received approval for establishment by the Department of Health on December 27, 1975, and was formally established on June 21, 1976, by Decision No. 136/QD/UB of the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City. Initially housed directly inside the Department of Health headquarters, the station relocated in mid-1976 to the Civil Servants' Clinic (formerly Thanh Quan Hospital prior to 1975). The Dermatology Station was tasked with five core functions:
* Health education.
* Technical guidance and support for dermatology services within Ho Chi Minh City.
* Dermatological examination and treatment for residents of Ho Chi Minh City.
* Specialist training in dermatology.
* Scientific research.
Pursuant to Decision No. 43/BYT/QD issued by the Ministry of Health on April 14, 1977, the Dermatology Hospital was transferred from the Ministry of Health to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health for municipal administration. It maintained the five core functions above while also assuming supervisory responsibility for dermatology across all southern provinces and cities.
The Ben San Leprosy Treatment Center and its three subordinate facilities (Thanh Binh, Phuoc Tan, and Binh Minh) were initially managed by the Dermatology Hospital. In July and November 1976, the Ministry of Health handed over Thanh Binh and the remaining facilities to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health (initially overseen directly by the HCMC Dermatology Station, then managed administratively by the Department of Health from 1980 onward). In September 1978, the Dermatology Department of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City and the Dermatology Department of Binh Dan Hospital relocated to the Dermatology Hospital.
On February 24, 1979, pursuant to Decision No. 98/SYT-QD of the Department of Health, the Ho Chi Minh City Dermatology Station merged into the Dermatology Hospital, unifying all dermatology facilities and operational domains in the city within a single institution.
Since the merger, HCMC Hospital of Dermato-Venereology has expanded steadily, continuously reinforcing the dermatological care network across Ho Chi Minh City and the southern provinces—covering all three major disease categories: skin conditions, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and Hansen’s disease.
The establishment, consolidation, and continued development of this dermatology network have been made possible by the dedicated staff of HCMC Hospital of Dermato-Venereology, represented by the leadership of the Party Cell, Hospital Administration, Trade Union, and the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union through successive generations.