Intracom says it is all systems go for what is expected to become South East Asia’s largest hospital – Hanoi’s Oriental Health Care Complex.

A source within the company which took over the $198 million hospital project from South Korean investor Yukjin said they were pushing ahead with land clearance and compensation and the project would get off the ground soon.

The source added he hoped construction of the project would start this year. Intracom took over from its original South Korean investor in September 2005 after the project had remained at the paper stage for many years. But since taking over, Intracom has also faced up its share of problems including hikes in the cost of construction materials. The global financial crisis has also seen the company struggling to mobilise capital.

The 9.5 hectare Oriental Health Care Complex will consist of 57 high-tech medical departments and 1,000 beds. The investor plans to receive around 6,000 patients every day, which will help reduce the current overload of the capital’s hospitals. The complex is to have seven sections including a main building, two support buildings, an in-hospital treatment area, a funeral service area, sports facilities and a square for public events.

The complex is 25 kilometres from Noi Bai International Airport and 15km from the centre of Hanoi, not far from the West Lake and Ciputra township. Moreover, a new road linking Pham Van Dong road to the project’s site will be opened soon, making the access to the hospital easier.

The hospital aims to attract foreigners who are working and living in Vietnam so that they won’t have to fly to neighbouring countries for treatment. It also aims to lure high-income Vietnamese who currently prefer Hong Kong or Singapore for medical treatment.

Vietnam currently has only some small-scale operating international hospitals such as the FV Hospital and Columbia Asia in Ho Chi Minh City and the French Hospital of Hanoi.

Established in 2002, Intracom is a domestic company investing in power plants, industrial zones, real estate, finance, construction, health care centres and construction material manufacturing.

The firm’s ongoing projects include Ta Loi and Nam Pung power plants and Oriental Health Care Complex, among others.