Ministry receives 190,000 COVID-19 test kits from German states
The Ministry of Health on July 2 received 190,000 COVID-19 test kits worth some 500,000 USD donated by German states via the World University Service of Germany (WUS).
The test kit handover ceremony in Hanoi on July 2 (Photo: Ministry of Health)
Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Health onJuly 2 received 190,000 COVID-19 test kits worth some 500,000 USD donated byGerman states via the World University Service of Germany (WUS).
The rapid antigen test kits are donated by thestates of Hamburg, Bremen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and Sachsen-Anhalt.
At the handover ceremony in Hanoi, DeputyMinister of Health Truong Quoc Cuong thanked the German Government and peoplefor their precious and effective assistance to Vietnam’s healthcare sector inthe recent past, expressing his hope that medical cooperation between the twocountries will continue developing in the time ahead.
The test kits will be distributed to provinces andcities facing complex pandemic developments to serve the fight against COVID-19,he added.
He also noted that in 2020, when the pandemicfirst broke out in Germany, the Vietnamese Government presented 100,000 facemasks to its German counterpart. Besides, Vietnamese people in the Europeannation also donated 100,000 masks to German states while making face masks andoffering free meals to medical establishments and rest homes in the country.
German Ambassador to Vietnam Guido Hildner saidthe test kits are part of Germany’s support presented via the WUS, which willcall on the administrations of German states to make more donations to provideVietnam with about 1 million rapid COVID-19 test kits in the coming time.
The aid reflects the solidarity between the twocountries, not only at the governmental level but also the state level, heemphasised./.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) handed over 1,500 COVID-19 test kits to the Ministry of Health (MoH) on May 31 as part of an effort to help put the spread of the virus in northern Vietnam under control.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has requested accelerating the transfer of vaccine production technology and the testing and production of home-grown vaccine for COVID-19, so that Vietnam will be able to produce COVID-19 vaccines no later than June 2022.
Numerous German states presented the token of over 190,000 COVID-19 quick test kits to Vietnam during a ceremony held at headquarters of the Federal Council (the German Upper House) on June 25.
As many as 190,000 COVID-19 quick test kits presented by authorities and people of some German states arrived at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on June 28 afternoon.
Vietnam expects to receive 8 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines in July, said Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long in a meeting of the Steering Committee for COVID-19 Vaccination for 2021-2022 in Hanoi on July 2.
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 test kit handover ceremony in Hanoi on July 2 (Photo: Ministry of Health) 
