The Ministry of Health on March 7 afternoon confirmed the 18th COVID-19 infection case in Vietnam, who is a patient returning from the epidemic-hit Republic of Korea (RoK).
A medical worker sprays disinfectant to sterilise Hanoi's streets (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) –The Ministry of Health on March 7 afternoon confirmed the 18th COVID-19 infection case in Vietnam, who is a patient returning from theepidemic-hit Republic of Korea (RoK).
The National Instituteof Hygiene and Epidemiology said the same day that the 27-year-old male patientfrom northern Thai Binh province arrived in the RoK’s Daegu city on February 17and came back to Vietnam on flight VJ981 from Busan to Van Don airport in thenorthern province of Quang Ninh on March 4.
After entering Vietnam,the patient was brought to a concentrated quarantine area and had samplestested positive for the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.
A day earlier, the 17th infection case was reported in the capital city of Hanoi. The 26-year-old femalepatient earlier visited her sister in the UK, then travelled to Italy andreturned to Hanoi on March 1 on flight VN0054.
Vietnam has to datedetected 18 COVID-19 infection cases. Of them, 16 patients had beensuccessfully cured and discharged from hospitals./.
The national steering committee for COVID-19 prevention and control has sent an urgent official dispatch to the Ministries of Public Security and Transport, and the People’s Committee of Hanoi, asking them to investigate and deal with any possible outbreaks related to a newly confirmed patient in the city.
Soldiers of the Chemistry Army and Military Medicine Department under the Ministry of National Defence on March 7 morning sprayed disinfectant to sterilise Tran Vu and Truc Bach streets and surrounding areas in Hanoi’s Ba Dinh district after a COVID-19 case was confirmed a day earlier.
The Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV) has asked airlines to inform all passengers, both Vietnamese and foreigners, on the requirement to fill in electronic health declaration forms before boarding flights to Vietnam, starting from 6:00 am on March 7.
The people should not worry or panic but seriously take precautions issued by the Ministry of Health and authorities to join hands fighting the epidemic of the acute respiratory disease caused by SARS-Cov-2 (COVID-19), Deputy Minister Nguyen Thanh Long stressed at a working session on March 7.
Officials from the Vietnam Tourism Association (VITA), tourism associations of Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Gia Lai and Dak Lak, and the Binh Dinh Department of Tourism have met to discuss measures to stimulate tourism after the COVID-19 outbreak is contained.
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.
A medical worker sprays disinfectant to sterilise Hanoi's streets (Photo: VNA) 
