The first patient with monkeypox in Vietnam has tested negative to the virus, while people with close contacts with her have shown no suspected symptoms so far.
Hanoi (VNA) – The first patient with monkeypox in Vietnam has tested negative to the virus, while people with close contacts with her have shown no suspected symptoms so far.
According to the Ministry of Health, after treatment, her fever has gone. The blisters on her face, hands, and feet have dried up, flaked off, and cicatrised, while those inside her throat have been healed. With her pain gone, the patient eats well, gains weight, and is optimistic.
The female, a 35-year-old resides in Ho Chi Minh City, fell ill on September 18 while traveling in Dubai with symptoms of fever, fatigue, chills, muscle aches, headache and a cough, as well as red, itchy bumps on her arms, body, and face. She returned to Vietnam on September 22.
On September 23, she was admitted to the city’s Tu Du Hospital and then transferred to the municipal Hospital of Dermato Venereology, where she was isolated. Two days later, she tested positive for monkeypox and was transferred to the municipal Hospital for Tropical Diseases for further isolation, treatment and genetic sequencing.
A representative of the General Department of Preventive Medicine visit the female patient. (Photo: VNA)
Director of the General Department of Preventive Medicine Phan Trong Lan said when being suspected for having the virus, the patient was considered a positive case. Therefore, the Ministry of Health and Ho Chi Minh City have handled all stages of surveillance, testing, and zoning following recommended guidelines.
In addition to decoding the viral genome, the municipal Hospital for Tropical Diseases has safely treated the patient and worked with the city’s Center for Disease Control to conduct the epidemiological investigation, zoning, isolation, and monitoring of people and medical staff who had close contact with the patient.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) on October 12 announced that more than 70,000 people were infected with monkeypox across the globe; 26 of them died.
Since the beginning of 2022, the disease been reported in 106 WHO member countries./.
The Ministry of Health has recommended people to follow six measures to protect themselves from monkeypox, as Vietnam announced the first case of the disease on October 3.
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.
Illustrative image (Photo: vneconomy.vn) 
A representative of the General Department of Preventive Medicine visit the female patient. (Photo: VNA) 
