Project News

From November 25th to December 6th, the project mission team, which consisted of the project experts, Dr. Shinohara (biosafety; NIID Japan), Mr. Miki (facility maintenance; Suga Company Japan), Mrs. Thanh (translator and logistics; Project Office) and Dr.Tatsumi (Project leader), visited and co-worked with each counterpart of 4 regional institutes to survey and advise on the present situation of biosafety in compliance with the wishes of each institute.

Firstly, in a couple days from November 25th to 26th, we visited a regional institute in the Highland province, Tay Nguyen Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (TIHE), which is planned on the way of relocation from the old in the city to the new institute in the suburbs. The staffs of TIHE requested the experts for guidance and advice onthe relocation in the biosafety-view of point, including the arrangement of departments, layout of BSL-2 laboratories, maintenance of BSL-2 related apparatus and so on. In keeping the future benefit of communication in mind, engineers of NIHE visited together with experts and co-worked with staffs of TIHE, checking apparatus related with BSL-2 and transferring the skills to them. The experts also made guidance and advise on the arrangement of research departments according to functions requiredfor such as biological and chemical departments, definite separation of laboratory area from office area and improvement of exhaust system in BSL-2 laboratories.

Secondly, a couple of daysfrom November 27th to 28th, we visited a regional institute in the Southern province, Pasteur Institute of Ho Chi Minh City (PIHCMC), where the mobile BSL-3 transferred from NIHE has been in regular operation. The experts, together with counterparts and engineers of PIHCMC, inspected the present situation of the BLS-3 laboratory after regular operation of these 3 months and gave advice on the maintenance, management and fine adjustment of the BSL-3 laboratory. Training course on diagnosis of Influenza virus (H5N1) has already been performed in the mobile BLS-3.The project mission team expects that researcher of PIHCMC would make active use of the mobile BSL-3 in order to prepare against possible outbreaks in the region in the future.

Thirdly, a couple of days from December 2nd to 3rd, we visited a regional institute in the Central province, Pasteur Institute of NhaTrang (PINT) and inspected, together with counterparts of PINT, the present situation of BSL-2 laboratories and gave guidance and practical advice on measurement techniques in compliance with the wishes of PINT; maintenance and management of BSL-2 related apparatus such as biosafety cabinets, autoclaves and so on.

Finally, from December 4th to 6th, we returned to Hanoi and visited a regional institute in the Northern province and also a central institute in Vietnam, National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology in Hanoi (NIHE) and reported and discussed with the project counterpart the survey and advice on the present situation of biosafety in the other 3 regional institutes.The experts also inspected and gave advice on unsuitability of the plan due to the possible flood in compliance with the plan of NIHE; the construct of pathogen storage room in the underground parking area of High Tech Center, where BSL-3 laboratories were located on 3rd floor.

Judging from the visiting survey of the present situation in 4 regional institutes, each institute gains the capacity to perform the management of biosafety by itself, depending on the level of biosafety; BSL2 (TIHE and PINT) and BSL-3 (NIHE and PIHCMC), is expected to play a leadership in preparing teaching material and planning the educational program suitable for its responsible provincial centers of preventive medicine in order to establish the nationwide laboratory network in biosafety and GMT in future.

Meeting of biosafety on occasion of relocation of TIHE

OJT in mobile BSL-3 (PIHCMC) by Dr. Shinohara expert

OJT of measurement of BSC (PINT) by Mr. Miki expert