New approach, solutions needed in COVID-19 fight: PM
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said it is necessary to have a new approach and new solutions in the fight against COVID-19 as the pandemic situation remains complicated in the country, especially in Ho Chi Minh City, central and southern provinces.
Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said it is necessary to have a new approach and new solutions in the fight against COVID-19 as the pandemic situation remains complicated in the country, especially in Ho Chi Minh City, central and southern provinces.
He made the statement at an online Government meeting on July 30 with local authorities on COVID-19 prevention and control.
Representatives of ministries, branches, and localities discussed the pandemic situation, analysed causes of outstanding problems, assessed the leadership and measures applied in the past time. They also made forecast on the situation and tasks to be implemented in the coming time.
The Prime Minister acknowledged that the pandemic prevention and control have achieved positive results and praised ministries, agencies and localities for their great efforts.
He said the Government will issue a resolution on urgent measures to prevent and c🐽ontrol COVID-19 following the newly-adopted NA resolution which allo✨ws stronger measures, including those not yet provided for in laws.
At the same time, he pointed out the limitations in the prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic over the past time.
While affirming that the pandemic situation is still complicated, Chinh emphasised that the government will continue to strive for the "dual goals", in which effective disease prevention and control and protecting people's health are the first and foremost tasks.
Regarding solutions to pandemic prevention and control in the coming time, the Prime Minister directed all localities where social distancing is implemented to ensure the supply of necessities and health care service for residents.
For those with risks of high fatality rate, restriction measures must be enforced strictly, he said.
The Prime Minister asked related sectors and units to step up research, production and import of drugs to treat COVID-19 patients, and promote the transfer of ventilator production technology.
In addition to continuing to carry out the "vaccine strategy", Chinh directed agencies and localit♊ies to change their priority in vaccination. Accordingly, along with frontline forces, priority should be given to localities with complicated development and key areas such as HCM City, Hanoi and provinces with many industrial parks and export processing zones./.
The Prime Minister has just decided to allocate over 1.55 trillion VND (nearly 67.5 million USD) from the State budget this year to the Ministry of National Defence to combat COVID-19.
The efficiency must be placed first and all medical resources must be mobilised to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, regardless of public or private, military or civilian, central or local level, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam stressed while inspecting pandemic prevention and control at Military Hospital 175 in Ho Chi Minh City on July 27.
Many southern localities have proposed the Prime Minister allow an extension of the imposition of social distancing under the PM's Directive 16 for one or two weeks to better curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has expressed a wish to develop the comprehensive partnership with the US on the basis of mutual benefits, for the sake of peace, stability and development in the region and the world during his reception in Hanoi on July 29 for visiting US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin.
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.
At the meeting (Photo: VNA) 
