Hanoi inaugurated the city’s first hospital dedicated to those living with HIV/AIDS in the outlying district of Thanh Tri.

The hospital, officially known as Hospital 09, contains 200 patient beds. City officials said it will provide regular check-ups and outpatient treatment for the city’s HIV carriers in addition to inpatient care for AIDS patients.

The hospital has also been tasked with contributing to international research efforts related to HIV/AIDS diagnosis, care and treatment.

Last month, the Hanoi Health Department unveiled the city’s HIV/AIDS Patients Fund to provide quality medical treatment and help patients integrate into the community.

Hanoi is among one of five locations in Vietnam with the highest concentration of HIV/AIDS cases.

The capitol recorded 275 per 100,000 people infected and 1,549 new infections last year, according to the department.

Vietnam’s first case was discovered in 1993.

Since then, the city has diagnosed 22,078 HIV patients, as of the end of last year, most of them sex workers and drug users, the department said.

Among the diagnoses, 8,409 of those patients have developed AIDS, and 3,519 have died of related illnesses.