Vietnam’s COVID-19 testing capacity improved strongly: official
The current COVID-19 testing capacity of Vietnam has been improved substantially, rising two- to three-fold from the previous outbreaks, said Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan.
A health worker at a testing labolatory (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Thecurrent COVID-19 testing capacity of Vietnam has been improved substantially,rising two- to three-fold from the previous outbreaks, said Deputy Minister ofHealth Tran Van Thuan.
He made the remark at ateleconference on May 13 with the National Institute of Hygiene andEpidemiology, the Pasteur Institute, and testing establishments of the Ministryof Health (MoH).
Thuan said laboratoriesnationwide are now capable of testing 100,000 single samples per day, and thecapacity can increase by five- to ten-fold when it comes to pooled testing.
Vietnam has masteredsufficient testing techniques to detect and diagnose the SARS-CoV-2coronavirus, including the Read time RT-PCR for confirmatory testing, rapid antigentesting, and rapid antibody testing, he went on.
Guidelines for each type oftesting and different scenarios, including the scenario of 30,000 infectedcases recorded in the country, have also been issued, the official noted,asking the General Department of Preventive Medicine and the Administration ofScience, Technology and Training to hold regular meetings to share testingexperience and knowledge with other units and grassroots medicalestablishments.
There are 175 testing labscapable of conducting coronavirus tests nationwide at present, including 125 carryingout confirmatory tests, according to Nguyen Minh Hang, Deputy Director of the GeneralDepartment of Preventive Medicine.
Compared to the previousoutbreaks, Vietnam’s testing capacity has improved “very quickly” in thisfourth wave of COVID-19 infections. Nearly 310,000 samples have been testedsince April 27, when the resurgence began, she said.
Health officials pointed outthat the COVID-19 situation remains complex in many countries, including somesharing the borderlines with Vietnam.
Many countries andterritories have also recorded the emergence of new coronavirus variants thatare more transmissible and dangerous such as the variants first found in the UKand India.
As of the noon on May 13,Vietnam had reported 3,679 cases of COVID-19, including 2,234 local infectionsand 1,445 imported ones./.
Vietnam reported 21 new COVID-19 cases, all detected in quarantine areas, over the last six hours to 12:00pm on May 13, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH).
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 health worker at a testing labolatory (Photo: VNA) 
