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HA NOI — An international exhibition on pharmaceutical and medical equipment featuring 250 companies from 20 countries opened yesterday in Ha Noi.

Viet Nam Medi-Pharm 2008 will run for four days and showcases equipment, supplies and other products for the pharmaceutical, medical, hospital and rehabilitation sectors. The event has been organised by the Ministry of Health and the Viet Nam Import and Export Medical Products Joint Stock Co.

At the event’s opening ceremony, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Xuyen said the exhibition was a practical way to promote pharmaceutical and medical equipment production while also improving medical examinations and work on preventing epidemic outbreaks.

"The event also helps Viet Nam’s enterprises widen international co-operation and use advanced medical technology in hospitals and in prevention of epidemic diseases," said Xuyen.

The exhibition sprawls across a 6,500 square metre area in the Friendship Cultural Palace.

Pharma-medical enterprises displayed their latest products and technology at 450 kiosks, of which 250 are for local enterprises who lead in fields of pharmaceutical and medical equipment manufacture and trading in Viet Nam.

The Ministry of Health reserved a special area with the theme "Viet Nam triumphs over epidemics" to highlight the achievements of the health sector in fighting dangerous epidemic such as SARS and avian influenza.

The exhibition also organised extra activities such as a conference on healthcare in Viet Nam, where participants also discussed forecasts for demand of drug and medical equipment in Viet Nam to 2020. — VNS