A sample taken for testing from a person in Son Loi commune of Binh Xuyen district, the northern province of Vinh Phuc (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – About 30 laboratoriesacross Vietnam are capable of testing for COVID-19 at present, according to theMinistry of Health (MoH).
They are based at the National Institute ofHygiene and Epidemiology in Hanoi, the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City,the Pasteur Institute of Nha Trang in Khanh Hoa province, the Institute ofHygiene and Epidemiology of the Central Highlands in Dak Lak province, and theNational Institute of Malariology-Parasitology-Entomology in Hanoi.
Disease control centres in Hanoi, Da Nang cityand the provinces of Quang Ninh, Thanh Hoa, Bac Ninh, Bac Giang, Ha Tinh andLao Cai are also able to perform tests for SARS-CoV2 that causes COVID-19.
These facilities also include the National Hospitalfor Tropical Diseases, Bach Mai Hospital, and the National Children’s Hospitalin Hanoi; the Hospital for Tropical Diseases and Cho Ray Hospital in HCM City;and Hue Central Hospital in Thua Thien-Hue province.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic,the MoH has ordered medical facilities nationwide to prepare infrastructure,equipment, materials and personnel to conduct tests in a timely manner.
It has also requested relevant ministries and sectorslike the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry ofNational Defence to stand ready to provide support when necessary.
As of 6:30am on February 25, there had been79,579 confirmed COVID-19 cases around the world, including 77,150 in mainlandChina and 2,429 in 36 other countries and territories.
The number of fatalities stood at 2,628,including 2,592 in mainland China, according to the MoH’s public healthemergency operations centre.
In Vietnam, there have been 16 cases, and 15 ofthem have been cured and discharged from hospital. The country hasn’t recordedany new cases since February 13./.
Vietnam has full capacity and enough kits to perform diagnostic tests for the virus SARS-CoV2 that causes COVID-19, said Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long in a meeting on February 24.
Those who enter Vietnam from the Republic of Korea (RoK) have been officially required to fill out medical declaration forms amid the increase of confirmed new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the East Asian country, according to the Ministry of Health (MOH).
The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) is taking various measures to ensure interests of Vietnamese labourers working abroad, especially in such large markets as the Republic of Korea (RoK), Japan and Taiwan (China), in the face of COVID-19 outbreaks there.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on February 24 ordered authorities to exert efforts so as to keep the spread of the acute respiratory disease caused by the SARS-Cov-2 (COVID-19) from impacting Vietnam.
With ceaseless efforts of doctors in fighting Covid-19 epidemic, the number of suspected cases at Quang Ha Clinic in Binh Xuyen district, Vinh Phuc province has not increased in the last few days.
Vietnam now boasts a nationwide healthcare network with 1,665 hospitals, 384 of which are non-public, supported by local commune- and ward-level stations. At the end of 2024, hospital bed capacity reached 34 per 10,000 people, slightly above the global average.
The 56-year-old patient from Quang Tri province was discharged in stable condition as he no longer experienced shortness of breath and was able to walk, move around, and eat normally.
Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Vu Trung, Director of the Pasteur Institute, said that under the MoU, the two sides committed to promoting diverse and practical collaborative activities, including joint conferences and workshops, exchanges of scholars, researchers and students, sharing academic materials, and the development of specific programmes and projects in scientific research, training, and epidemic prevention.
TytoCare, a leading Israeli telemedicine company based in Netanya, is willing to work with Vietnamese regulators, insurers, and healthcare providers to develop a sustainable digital health ecosystem.
The partnership is under the framework of a Memorandum of Understanding on the development and implementation of the National Action Plan on Breast Cancer and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control, signed in Hanoi on July 22.
An estimated 7 million Vietnamese are currently living with diabetes, but about 50% remain undiagnosed, a dangerous gap that is fuelling serious, preventable complications and increasing the burden on the healthcare system.
In 2024, Vietnam achieved 99% coverage for the first dose of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine, up from 80% in 2023. Immunisation coverage in the country has not only rebounded to the high levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic but has now surpassed the rates recorded in 2019.
Health authorities in HCM City have issued an urgent alert after six people died from dengue fever, amid a spike in infections driven by the onset of the rainy season.
During the peak months of July and August 2025, the National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT) needs at least 90,000 units of blood to supply 180 hospitals in the northern region. However, despite continuous efforts, the reserve blood is still short of 30,000 units.
The Hanoi ceremony highlighted efforts to ensure all citizens, especially women and youth, can access accurate information and healthcare services to make informed reproductive choices.
After such a long time, the law has revealed many limitations, prompting the Ministry of Health (MoH) to gather opinions to amend the law to give more chances to thousands of patients every year.
Currently, cardiovascular specialists from the 108 Military Central Hospital are working alongside a team of Prof.Dr. Jan D. Schmitto, Deputy Director of MHH’s Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery on clinical trials for MCS devices, implanted in heart failure patients either as a bridge to transplantation or as permanent treatment.
The centre not only serves residents living on the island, but also receives tens of thousands of visitors every year, according to Assoc Prof Dr Tang Chi Thuong, Director of the HCM CIty Department of Health.
Not only does Vietnam attract international tourists with its landscapes, culture, and cuisine, but it is also gradually becoming a reliable destination for medical treatment, offering high-quality services at reasonable costs.
Over the past six months, 150 communal health stations in provinces including Ha Giang, Bac Kan, Lang Son, Lao Cai, Lai Chau, Yen Bai, Tay Ninh, Hau Giang, Ben Tre and Ca Mau have been equipped with information technology systems. In addition, 117 key provincial healthcare workers have received training, with thousands more expected to follow.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Ministry of Health swiftly launched a telemedicine programme, connecting more than 1,000 medical establishments nationwide. The model, which remains in operation, has benefited tens of thousands of patients, including foreign nationals.
After more than three weeks of intensive treatment, the patient's pneumonia improved, breathing stabilised, sedation was reduced, and the breathing tube was removed. He is now conscious, able to eat orally, and in recovery.
A sample taken for testing from a person in Son Loi commune of Binh Xuyen district, the northern province of Vinh Phuc (Photo: VNA) 
