Hospital takes pictures of people using health insurance, what does the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health say?

(Dan Tri) - In response to the report that Nguyen Tri Phuong Hospital took pictures of patients when they went to get health insurance, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health has issued a response to the incident.

Recently, at Nguyen Tri Phuong Hospital (old District 5), some patients reported that they had to take photos when using health insurance to see a doctor.

Many people are concerned about the collection of personal image information without a clear purpose, and fear the risk of data disclosure if the hospital does not have effective security measures.

Nguyen Tri Phuong Hospital - where the incident occurred (Photo: BVNTP).

Regarding the incident of patients having to take photos when examining for health insurance at Nguyen Tri Phuong Hospital, on the afternoon of July 28, information from the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health said that the city's health sector does not encourage this action when medical facilities have not yet fully developed procedures and do not have regulations on protecting personal information according to legal regulations.

The Ministry of Health and Vietnam Social Insurance have not yet issued legal documents requiring medical examination and treatment facilities to take and store images of patients when receiving health insurance examinations or implementing electronic medical records (EMR).

The activity of authenticating patient information using an electronic identification account (VNeID) issued by the Ministry of Public Security also does not require storing images at the hospital.

In the case of using images to compare with population databases, related systems must ensure full compliance with legal regulations on security and safety of personal information.

"It is a practical need for hospitals to proactively take pictures of patients to enhance identification, avoid patient confusion and improve management efficiency. However, this activity is within the scope of responsibility of medical examination and treatment facilities and must be strictly implemented in accordance with the provisions of law," the Department of Health emphasized.

Specifically, taking pictures of patients during medical examinations is only allowed when the patient is fully informed about the purpose of use, scope of storage and the right to personal data protection, and must have the patient's consent.

"This should not be considered a mandatory condition for receiving medical examination and treatment, especially in health insurance examination and treatment," the Department said.

The city's health sector does not encourage the implementation of taking pictures of patients in cases where medical facilities have not fully developed procedures and do not have regulations on protecting personal information.

In case hospitals need to apply images to support patient identification to enhance the management of health insurance card users, the Department of Health recommends that hospitals develop a specific implementation plan and report to the Department of Health for guidance and assessment of legality, implementation process and security capabilities.

This is to ensure patient privacy, while ensuring compliance with current legal regulations and not causing inconvenience or affecting the rights of patients when accessing medical examination and treatment services.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health said it will continue to monitor and require medical facilities to carry out digital transformation in conjunction with protecting the legitimate rights of people, ensuring that the application of information technology in medical examination and treatment is carried out in accordance with legal regulations, in accordance with practice and without creating procedures or inconvenience for people when using medical examination and treatment services.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/benh-vien-chup-hinh-nguoi-dan-kham-bhyt-so-y-te-tphcm-noi-gi-20250728185846200.htm