Vietnam ready to cooperate in health response to disasters
Vietnam stands ready to cooperate with other ASEAN member states in medical response to natural calamities in the region, affirmed Deputy Minister of Health Pham Le Tuan at the second regional collaboration drill held in the central coastal city of Da Nang on March 26.
Ten emergency medical teams involved in the second regional collaboration drill in Da Nang city. (Photo: VTV)
Da Nang (VNA) – Vietnam stands ready to cooperate with other ASEANmember states in medical response to natural calamities in the region, affirmedDeputy Minister of Health Pham Le Tuan at the second regional collaborationdrill held in the central coastal city of Da Nang on March 26.
The event, which was jointly held by the Japan International Cooperation Agency(JICA), Thailand’s National Institute for Emergency Medicine (NIEM) and themunicipal People’s Committee, is part of the project on strengthening the ASEANregional capacity on disaster health management. Vietnam and other nine ASEANstates have proactively joined in the project since 2015.
Tuan said that international drills will enable Vietnamese medical managementagencies to improve their professional capacity in case of natural disasters.
Senior Representative of JICA Vietnam Office Nozomi Iwama said that therehearsal aims to bolster cooperation between medical forces to have promptresponse in case of emergency.
JICA will collect specific response and build a cooperation mechanism on healthresponse in the ASEAN bloc, she noted.
Ten emergency medical teams (EMTs) from ASEAN and Japan took part in the rehearsalin which a fierce storm was supposed to make landfall in the central coastalarea, causing critical damage in lives and property in Da Nang city, Quang Namprovince and some localities in the vicinity. Medical centres were completelydevastated and they could not provide medical aid to the victims, especiallythose in isolated areas.
Under the direction of the Government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs calledfor humanitarian aid from the ASEAN members through the ASEAN CoordinatingCentre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management. The EMTs joinedhands with the medical staff in Da Nang city and Quang Nam province to set upmobile medical stations to save the victims.-VNA
Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health's plan on developing medical emergency service system this year and calling for private sector's investment for the field will help improve the service's quality,
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc recently approved a project on enhancing equality in sexual and reproductive health, family planning and medical response in Vietnam.
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.
Ten emergency medical teams involved in the second regional collaboration drill in Da Nang city. 
