Huế Central Hospital (HCH), established in 1894, has been the first Western hospital in Vietnam. The hospital, providing 2078 beds and occupying 120,000 square meters, is one of three largest in the country along with Bạch Mai Hospital in Hanoi and Chợ Rẫy Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, and is managed by the Ministry of Health. HCH, positioned as is a top referral hospital, is a central medical institution for the 15,3 millions of Central Vietnam population.