Grassroots health care network expanded nationwide: minister
The grassroots-level health care network has been expanded nationwide, basically meeting public demand for health care, said Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien.
Hanoi (VNA) – The grassroots-level health carenetwork has been expanded nationwide, basically meeting public demand forhealth care, said Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien.
Speaking at a working session of the National Assembly’sCommittee for Social Affairs in Hanoi on August 7, Minister Tien highlightedachievements in vaccination, maternal and child health care, and the preventionof non-communicable diseases at the ward/commune level.
She cited the inpatient satisfaction index towards medicalcheck-up and treatment of 79.6 percent between September 2016 and December2017, along with the 2016 Provincial Governance and Public AdministrationPerformance Index (PAPI) Report announced in April 2017 which showed that thequality of hospitals, especially those at the district level, has been improvedsignificantly and people have satisfied more with medical services.
Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Van Hieusaid that thanks to investments sourced from Government bonds, hospitals andmedical centres at the district level have been built or upgraded, with thenumber of sickbeds per 10,000 people increasing from 17.9 in 2005 to 25.7 in2017, surpassing the target assigned by the legislature.
Participants at the working session also pointed outlimitations in the grassroots health care network regarding public confidencein the quality of medical establishments at the district and commune levels,primary health care, investments in grassroots-level health care, and humanresources.
They shared the views that more investments should bechanneled into grassroots health care, and underlined the need to mobilise theparticipation of different economic sectors and finalise the legal framework topromote the engagement of the entire political sector in the network.
It is necessary to allocate mid-term capital in the health sector,especially in remote, disadvantaged and ethnic minority-inhabited areas, theysaid, proposing the Health Ministry implement policies to attract and maintainpersonnel for grassroots health care establishment. -VNA
Hanoi has rolled out a number of measures to develop its grassroots health care network in a bid to enhance capacity and service quality, thus reducing overload at central hospitals in the city.
The health sector has called for action to halt the rise of diabetes and improve care for people suffering from the disease at a workshop held in Hanoi on April 7.
Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said it is a must to improve the quality and operational efficiency of grassroots-level health care centres in order to attract more patients.
Local-level health care facilities are expected to increase their capacity and provide better services to help reduce pressure at central hospitals by “gaining public trust”, said Nguyen Nam Lien, Director of the Health Ministry's Planning and Finance Department, at a press conference in Hanoi on June 29.
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.
At the working session. (Source: VNA) 
