National steering committee: Vietnam must remain vigilant in COVID-19 fight
The spread of COVID-19 may have slowed in Vietnam but the country must remain on alert since it is still too early to confirm that the pandemic has been contained, heard a meeting of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control in Hanoi on April 8.
Hanoi (VNA) - The spread of COVID-19 may have slowed in Vietnam but the country must remain on alert since it is stilltoo early to confirm that the pandemic has been contained, heard a meeting of the NationalSteering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control in Hanoi on April 8.
The Ministry of Health (MoH) reported at themeeting that, as at April 8, Vietnam had 251 people tested positive for the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2,of whom 126 have fully recovered.
Luong Ngoc Khue, Director of the MoH’s Departmentof Medical Examination and Treatment Management, said it is encouraging that thenumber of newly-confirmed cases each day is now lower than the number of those giventhe all-clear. Those who have made full recovery now account for more than halfof all cases.
Patients are treated according to an MoH regimenand piloted ones based on other countries’ experience, he said, noting that theministry is working to perfect the regimen so as to minimise severe cases and fatalities.
Participants shared the view that although Vietnamhas introduced strong measures, COVID-19 continues to spread in the community, asbefore midnight on March 22, when the entry of foreigners into the country was suspended,hundreds of thousands of people, including many from coronavirus-hit nations, hadalready entered Vietnam.
Of the 251 COVID-19 cases identified so far, 156,or 62.6 percent, stemmed from other countries.
Social distancing is being practiced nationwide underPrime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s Directive No. 16/TC-TTg, so transmission has slowed,but it is still early to say that the pandemic has been contained, according toTran Dac Phu, an adviser to Vietnam’s public health emergency operations center.
The country must continue measures such as quarantining,testing people having contact or links with confirmed cases, practicing social distancing,and detecting small hotspots early to prevent them from becoming larger.
Other participants at the meeting said Vietnam hasmanaged to control the pandemic but there will likely be many more cases. Therefore,aside from identifying sources of infection, it is necessary to consider each COVID-19case as a hotspot and respond swiftly./.
The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee convened an unscheduled meeting in Hanoi on April 8 to discuss support to those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hanoi will earmark 650 billion VND (28.2 million USD) to help the poor and other social beneficiaries via the local branch of Vietnam Bank for Social Policies (VBSP), amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Vietnamese Embassy in Germany will assist the nearly 180,000 Vietnamese people living, working, and studying in the country in overcoming difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Ambassador Nguyen Minh Vu said on April 7.
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.
Participants at the meeting (Photo: VNA) 
