Prime Minister hails Central Eye Hospital for eye care efforts
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has applauded achievements recorded by the Vietnam National Institute of Ophthalmology (VNIO), known as the Central Eye Hospital, especially the efforts made by it and the World Health Organisation (WHO) to eradicate trachoma in Vietnam.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc visits patients at the Central Eye Hospital (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister NguyenXuan Phuc has applauded achievements recorded by the Vietnam National Instituteof Ophthalmology (VNIO), known as the Central Eye Hospital, especially the effortsmade by it and the World Health Organisation (WHO) to eradicate trachoma inVietnam.
The leader made the appraisal at the centenary celebration of the VNIO, whichwas held at the same time with the opening ceremony of the Vietnam Ophthalmological Society’s 2017 Congress inHanoi on November 24.
He also highlighted the hospital’s Vitamin A supplementation programme whichhas been held nationwide with the aim of preventing blindness.
The VNIO, the predecessor of the Central Eye Hospital, has significantlycontributed to personal training of the ophthalmological sector, with more than7,000 ophthalmological doctors and nurses nationwide, he said.
The PM urged the institute to continuously improve the quality of eye check-upand treatment while utilising international support and coordination in public eyehealth care.
Prior to the ceremony, PM Phuc visited the Central Eye Hospital, which admitshundreds of patients annually.
The Vietnam Ophthalmological Society Congress is heldin November annually with the participation of many ophthalmologicalprofessors, doctors, nurses and technicians in and outside the country.
This year’s event brings together more than 1,600 delegates from Vietnamand 80 others from France, Italy, Japan, Thailand, Australia, Taiwan (China),Singapore and the Republic of Korea (RoK).
Apart from short training courses, the congress will feature an exhibitiondisplaying products and equipment in service of the ophthalmological sector.-VNA
An eye examination and treatment ward funded by the Netherlands’ Eye Care Foundation and De Heus company was inaugurated on February 27 at the Ophthalmology Hospital in the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long.
The 2017 Orbis Flying Eye Hospital Programme was launched in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on May 8 with the two main partners of Can Tho Eye and Odonto-Stomatology Hospital and Pediatrics Hospital.
The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital on May 30 began a training course for medical staff of the General Hospital and Eye Hospital of central Binh Dinh province.
More than 40 percent of students aged from 7 to 13 in big cities such as Hanoi and HCM City suffer from eye defects, with short-sightedness accounting for two-thirds of cases, according to health sector statistics.
The Vietnam Medicine Association and the Ministry of Health raised the fact that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are now a leading cause of death in Vietnam at the sixth National Scientific Conference in Hanoi on November 21.
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.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc visits patients at the Central Eye Hospital (Photo: VNA) 
