The Southern Vietnam Public Health Emergency Operations Centre is inaugurated in Ho Chi Minh City on August 23 (Photo: plo.vn)
HCMCity (VNA) - The Southern Vietnam Public Health Emergency OperationsCentre (SVPHEOC) was inaugurated at the Ho Chi Minh City-based Paster Instituteon August 23.
Thecentre is expected to help the health sector coordinate and cope with emergencyhealth incidents, including dangerous or emerging diseases that have affectedhealth and social welfare of people in the southern region.
In thecontext of globalisation, diseases like SARS, avian influenza, Ebola and Zikaare threats to Vietnam and challenges to the globe as they can spread quicklyacross countries.
Giventhis, the Vietnamese Health Ministry has joined the Global Health SecurityPartnership which is implemented by the US Government, internationalorganisations and other countries.
Vietnamhas committed to actively applying the model of the Public Health EmergencyOperations Centre in response to diseases and health incidents in the country.
Withthe support of the US Government, the Vietnam Emergency Operations Centre wasput into operation in May 2013 at the headquarters of the Health Ministry.
TheNorthern Public Health Emergency Operations Centre was activated at theNational Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology in 2016.
Withgood quality staff and equipment, the SVPHEOC will collect and share information and coordinate emergencyoperations.
Theevent is seen as a vivid demonstration of cooperation between the Vietnamese andUS Governments.-VNA
More public-private partnerships (PPPs) are needed in the private health care sector as public hospitals and clinics cannot meet the demand across the country, experts have said.
The Health Ministry has called on central hospitals and provincial health departments to organise training courses on dengue fever diagnosis and treatment at both private and public health centres.
More resources should be channeled into grassroots and preventive medicine, which is considered as the root of the health sector, focusing on extremely disadvantaged areas, said Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam.
Hepatitis B and C viruses, the silent killers that cause millions of deaths worldwide a year, are estimated to affect over 8.7 million Vietnamese people in 2017
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 Southern Vietnam Public Health Emergency Operations Centre is inaugurated in Ho Chi Minh City on August 23 (Photo: plo.vn) 
