Health sector capable of diagnosing, curing nCoV patients: official
The health sector of Vietnam is capable of diagnosing, treating and curing patients infected with the acute respiratory disease caused by the 2019 novel coronavirus (nCoV), Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son has said.
The isolation ward for nCoV patients at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – The health sector of Vietnam is capableof diagnosing, treating and curing patients infected with the acute respiratorydisease caused by the 2019 novel coronavirus (nCoV), Deputy Minister of HealthNguyen Truong Son has said.
Expressing the confidence at a meeting in Hanoion February 3, Son further said there are about 17,000 confirmed nCoV cases,including 362 deaths, around the world at present. The fatality rate of thisdisease is some 2 percent, compared to the 9.6 percent of the severe acuterespiratory syndrome (SARS) in the past.
He predicted that the number of nCoV cases islikely to soar in the time ahead.
Meanwhile, health of the eight infected patientsin Vietnam has shown improvement. Notably, a case under treatment at the ChoRay Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City has been tested negative for the virus forthree times, and he is set to be discharged from hospital on February 4. Apatient in Thanh Hoa province has also been tested negative and came out ofhospital on February 3.
The deputy minister said with the healthsector’s capacity, support from other sectors and drastic directions by PrimeMinister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam, the Ministry of Health willfulfill its tasks to ensure people’s health.
Regarding Chinese nationals returning to work inVietnam after the Lunar New Year holiday and the possible surge of Vietnamesecoming home from China, where the nCoV is raging, Deputy Minister of DefenceSen. Lt. Gen. Tran Don said the border guard force has suspended the entry intoVietnam by people from China at all border crossings.
At border gates, relevant agencies will isolateall people coming from nCoV-hit areas, especially China’s Hubei province – theepicenter of the epidemic. Meanwhile, suspected cases or persons from otheraffected regions will also be quarantined at medical establishments or localcommunities, he added.
At the meeting, Deputy PM Dam, head of the nationalsteering committee for the nCoV-caused disease prevention and control, stressedthat relevant agencies and localities must not be subjective but stay proactivein disease prevention and control./.
The tourism sector of Vietnam is actively taking measures to contribute to curbing the spread of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) and limiting the impact of the virus, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) has affirmed.
A hospital particularly designated for handling suspected cases of novel coronavirus (nCoV) was put into operation in Mong Cai city, the northern border province of Quang Ninh, on February 3.
Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien has requested the localities that have declared outbreaks of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) to halt all festivals, including those currently underway, to fight the spread of the acute respiratory disease caused by this virus.
Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan has underlined the need to build acute respiratory disease hospitals in response to the disease caused by the 2019 novel coronavirus (nCoV).
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.
The isolation ward for nCoV patients at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: VNA) 
