Highest priority now lies on COVID-19 prevention, control: PM
The highest priority at this time is to fight COVID-19 and deal with its consequences in order to ensure security and safety as well as the public’s health, and complete the set dual goals, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said on May 7.
PM Pham Minh Chinh chairs the online meeting (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – The highest priority atthis time is to fight COVID-19 and deal with its consequences in order to ensuresecurity and safety as well as the public’s health, and complete the set dualgoals, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said on May 7.
Speaking at an online working session between theNational Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control andrepresentatives from ministries and agencies, the PM ordered scenarios to guaranteesafety during the upcoming elections of deputies to the 15th National Assembly and all-level People’s Councils for 2021-2026.
He said under the Party leadership and with joint efforts of the Government and authorities at all levels and people, Vietnam hasbasically contained the pandemic.
Chinh said the new locally-transmitted infections were partiallydue to the lax attitude of many localities, authorities, Party organisationsand people, plus the long holidays.
The leader stressed the need to stay calm and keep a cool head to assess the situation and take suitable methods, thus fulfilling the goals of socio-economic development and COVID-19 combat.
PM Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the meeting (Photo: VNA)
Technological measuresshould be stepped up in the pandemic fight, he said, emphasising the importanceof observing the Ministry of Health’s 5K message - khau trang (facemask), khukhuan (disinfection), khoang cach (distance), khong tu tap (no gathering) andkhai bao y te (health declaration), plus the vaccination drive.
Cities and provinces need to improve their testing,quarantine and forecasting capacity, and put forth scenarios, the PM said, askingthem to minimise adverse socio-economic impact of social distancing andseriously follow quarantine regulations.
Chinh also urged the Ministry of Public Security towork harder so as to prevent illegal immigration.
Regarding COVID-19 vaccines, he said the Governmentand the committee are making efforts in negotiations to soon acquire morevaccines./.
The Cambodian government has introduced a “strategic plan for COVID-19 vaccination campaign to build socio-economic resilience in Cambodia by 2021” in a bid to accelerate the vaccination of all people aged 18 and over in high-priority areas.
After learning about a number of Vietnamese in Laos getting infected with COVID-19, the Vietnamese Association in Vientiane has taken a range of measures to support the Vietnamese community in the country.
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.
PM Pham Minh Chinh chairs the online meeting (Photo: VNA) 
PM Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the meeting (Photo: VNA) 
