VSS, Danish Embassy ink deal on health insurance-related cooperation
The Vietnam Social Security (VSS) and the Danish Embassy on August 21 signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to help the VSS improve its health insurance verification staff’s capacity in 2018 and 2019.
Deputy Ambassador of Denmark Louise Holmsgaard (L) and VSS Deputy General Director Dao Viet Anh sign the MoU on August 21 (Photo: baohiemxahoi.gov.vn)
Hanoi (VNA) –The Vietnam Social Security (VSS) and the Danish Embassy on August 21 signed amemorandum of understanding (MoU) to help the VSS improve its health insuranceverification staff’s capacity in 2018 and 2019.
Under the document, the Danish Embassy willorganise training courses in Vietnam and fund short-term courses in Denmark forVSS staff. It will help the VSS take part in international seminars and expandcooperation in various fields.
Deputy Ambassador of Denmark in Vietnam LouiseHolmsgaard said health care is one of the top priorities in the two countries’development cooperation. She lauded the VSS’s achievements in patient informationmanagement and health insurance coverage, adding that health insurance iscrucial to promoting primary health care.
The MoU will be an important stride to helpimprove the capacity of the VSS’s health insurance verification specialists, enhancingthe management of the health insurance fund, she noted.
VSS Deputy General Director Dao Viet Anh saidhealth insurance has covered about 84.5 million people or more than 87 percentof Vietnam’s population, and this coverage is almost 100 percent among students.
However, there remain challenges such as lowinsurance premiums and high medical service prices. Therefore, he hoped thatthe cooperation with the Danish Embassy will help the VSS learn othercountries’ experience in the insurance fund management and insuranceverification, address difficulties, develop health insurance sustainably andexpand partnerships to other areas.-VNA
More than 12,440 enterprises in Ho Chi Minh City owed social insurance, employment insurance and health insurance premiums totaling over 2.7 trillion VND (118.2 million USD) as of June 2018, making up 4.2 percent of the annual collection plan.
Many Lang Son residents participating in the health insurance programme are living in poor conditions and local general hospital is focusing on providing the best possible health care for them.
More than 81.5 million Vietnamese people, or nearly 87 percent of the population, were covered by health insurance by the end of June, according to the Vietnam Social Security (VSS).
Health experts have called on the Health Ministry to add direct-acting antiviral Agents (DAAs) into list of drugs that public health insurance covers so patients with Hepatitis C are treated more effectively.
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.
Deputy Ambassador of Denmark Louise Holmsgaard (L) and VSS Deputy General Director Dao Viet Anh sign the MoU on August 21 (Photo: baohiemxahoi.gov.vn) 
