Amidst the nationwide jubilation celebrating the success of the 14th Party Congress and the Lunar New Year of the Horse 2026, Comrade Dao Hong Lan, Member of the Central Committee of the Party and Minister of Health , granted the Health and Life Newspaper a heartfelt interview about the journey of "rethinking" in people's healthcare and the aspiration to make Vietnamese healthcare one of the solid pillars in the country's era of progress...
Comrade Dao Hong Lan - Member of the Central Committee of the Party, Minister of Health . Photo: Tran Minh
The medical field is undergoing a significant transformation in the face of challenges…
PV: Mr. Minister, 2025 is not only the end of a term but also a milestone marking the strong resurgence of the health sector after the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Looking back on the journey of the sector so far, what is the most significant feeling that resonates with you?
- Minister Dao Hong Lan: The health sector entered the 2021-2025 term facing unprecedented challenges. From the fierce battle against the COVID-19 pandemic to difficulties in mechanisms, shortages of medicines and medical supplies. However, under the close leadership of the Party and the Government , the efforts to overcome difficulties and the sense of responsibility to the Party and the people, and the spirit of solidarity, the health sector has made strong strides.
And it is precisely in times of hardship that the resilience of Vietnamese doctors shines brighter than ever. The health sector has completed and exceeded many important targets assigned by the National Assembly and the Government. The ratio of doctors and hospital beds per 10,000 people has steadily increased over the years.
The system of policies and guidelines has been reviewed, developed, and perfected, including specific policies to protect, care for, and improve the health of the people, as issued by the Politburo in Resolution No. 72-NQ/TW dated September 9, 2025; Directive No. 25-CT/TW dated October 25, 2023 of the Secretariat, along with 5 Laws, 4 Resolutions of the National Assembly, dozens of Decrees and Resolutions of the Government, and hundreds of Circulars of the Ministry of Health in fields such as medical examination and treatment, health insurance, disease prevention, population, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, etc., which have gradually removed "bottlenecks" and "obstacles," establishing breakthrough solutions for the development of the health sector.
The legal framework has been streamlined, creating favorable conditions for hospitals to improve the quality of medical services. Many advanced techniques such as multi-organ transplantation, complex cardiovascular interventions, robotic endoscopic surgery, and nuclear medicine applications have been implemented and mastered. Early, remote, and grassroots disease prevention efforts have been emphasized; and the grassroots healthcare system continues to receive attention and investment for development in both quantity and quality.
Simultaneously, the health sector has strived to standardize hospital quality, creating a legal framework for the joint development of public and private healthcare; shifting strongly from an administrative management model to a professional and modern service model. The application of the Hospital Quality Criteria Set, coupled with independent evaluation, has brought about fundamental changes in the appearance and behavioral culture. Public satisfaction with healthcare services at hospitals has increased significantly.
The health sector has promoted the application of electronic medical records, connecting personal health information with the VNeID application and the national population database, helping to optimize the medical examination and treatment process and minimize cumbersome administrative procedures for the people.
Social welfare services have been expanded, contributing to ensuring social security and equity in healthcare.
Furthermore, the 2021-2025 term also marked significant achievements in perfecting the organizational structure of the health sector towards a streamlined, effective, and efficient system.
Many major, key projects in the health sector are being prioritized and accelerated to ensure their completion and operation, better meeting the requirements for protecting, caring for, and improving people's health in the new situation.
Minister Dao Hong Lan and the team of grassroots medical staff in Quang Tri province. Photo: Thanh Dung
Vigorously implement the care and protection of people's health "from early on, from afar, and from the grassroots."
PV: The Minister just mentioned Resolution 72-NQ/TW of the Politburo. Could the Minister please tell us how the Ministry of Health has been implementing this Resolution?
- Minister Dao Hong Lan: In recent times, the Party and the State have issued many important guidelines, mechanisms, and policies to promote the development of the health sector. Among them, Resolution 72-NQ/TW issued by the Politburo is a groundbreaking guiding document, a turning point, creating a foundation for the cause of caring for, protecting, and improving the health of the people.
This Resolution is of strategic, comprehensive, and long-term significance, action-oriented, and is a "Resolution to implement a Resolution" with many supplementary policies, strengthening and concretizing previous guidelines and policies, and proposing "breakthrough" tasks and solutions to remove and overcome "bottlenecks," "obstacles," difficulties, and obstacles from practice to meet the requirements of sustainable national development and the expectations of the people.
Resolution 72-NQ/TW is approached from the perspective that people's health is the most valuable asset and the focus of service delivery, implementing tasks and solutions in the field of healthcare.
The resolution offered groundbreaking solutions to the three main "bottlenecks":
Firstly , it's crucial to address the bottlenecks in thinking and awareness. Resolution 72-NQ/TW has created a revolution in thinking, "shifting strongly from a mindset focused on diagnosis and treatment to one focused on proactive disease prevention, emphasizing the protection, care, and continuous improvement of overall health throughout the life cycle." Accordingly, it shifts strongly from a state of "passive response to disease" to "actively building health."
The resolution clearly defines that protecting, caring for, and improving the health of the people is not only the responsibility of the health sector but also of the entire political system, placing the people at the center and considering health as the "most valuable asset" that needs to be prioritized in development strategies. This is not just a professional task but a top political priority.
Secondly , address institutional and resource bottlenecks. In the context of increasing healthcare needs but inadequate financial mechanisms, Resolution 72-NQ-TW outlines the direction for comprehensively improving the legal system (such as the Law on Disease Prevention, the Law on Population, the Law on Health Insurance...).
In particular, the Resolution introduces groundbreaking financial mechanisms to maximize the mobilization of social resources, combining public and private sectors, while affirming that the state budget must play a leading role in preventive and primary healthcare, ensuring equity in access to services, reducing the burden of healthcare costs for the people, and implementing a roadmap for free hospital treatment to limit people's out-of-pocket expenses when seeking medical care.
Thirdly , addressing the challenges in healthcare human resources. Given the current situation of both a shortage and a lack of qualified healthcare personnel at the grassroots level, the Resolution has introduced exceptional incentive policies, particularly recognizing the medical profession as a special profession requiring special recruitment, utilization, and compensation. Policies on preferential professional allowances and specialized training have been proposed to attract and retain talent, ensuring the sustainable operation of the healthcare system from the grassroots level.
Thus, Resolution 72-NQ/TW provides an important political basis for perfecting the legal framework and necessary conditions for the health sector to fulfill its mission of providing healthcare to all citizens in the new era, as well as mobilizing the entire political and social system to participate in developing a modern, equitable, and sustainable healthcare system.
With a focused approach to removing "bottlenecks," the Ministry of Health reported and proposed to the Government the issuance of Resolution 282/NQ-CP on the Government's Action Program to implement Resolution No. 72-NQ/TW and a specific implementation plan with clear tasks and timelines; and advised and developed for the National Assembly to enact the Law on Disease Prevention and specific resolutions for the development of the sector.
It can be affirmed that, after more than 3 months of implementing Resolution No. 72-NQ/TW, under the decisive direction and management of the Government and the close coordination of ministries and sectors, the implementation work has been strongly promoted, creating initial changes.
Notably, localities have made significant progress in developing resolutions, programs, and plans to concretize the spirit of Resolution 72-NQ/TW, thereby forming practical projects, solutions, and policies that are appropriate to the actual conditions of each locality.
PV: One of the biggest highlights in the spirit of Resolution 72-NQ/TW is the healthcare strategy of "early, remote, and grassroots" care, shifting the mindset from "treating disease to preventing disease." Specifically, what benefits will people receive from these strategic changes, Minister?
- Minister Dao Hong Lan: Our Party and State have always affirmed: "Health is the most precious asset." Resolution 72-NQ/TW has concretized this with a breakthrough mindset: Shifting from "treating disease" to "preventing disease" and managing the health of the entire population throughout their life cycle.
Implementing a breakthrough solution focused on proactive disease prevention, ensuring early, remote, and grassroots-level disease prevention, the Ministry of Health has actively and proactively deployed regular health check-ups and screenings for the people.
The Ministry of Health is developing a "Plan for routine health check-ups and screenings for the public," which is expected to begin implementation in 2026, but will follow a phased approach, prioritizing disadvantaged and vulnerable groups in the short term.
Simultaneously, regulations on periodic health check-ups and screenings will be institutionalized in the Decree implementing the Law on Disease Prevention, according to which funding for periodic health check-ups and screenings will be ensured from the state budget and health insurance. The goal is that from 2026, people will receive free periodic health check-ups or screenings at least once a year.
The Ministry of Health is also developing a plan to waive hospital fees, which includes revising and supplementing regulations to expand the scope of benefits, rates, and payment levels for medical examination and treatment under health insurance according to a roadmap and priority groups, in order to gradually reduce the financial burden on people in line with the balance capacity of the Health Insurance Fund. By 2030, people will be exempt from basic hospital fees within the scope of their health insurance benefits. Currently, the Ministry of Health is also coordinating with the Ministry of Finance to study a roadmap for increasing health insurance contributions and expanding the scope of coverage for screening and early detection of diseases.
This is not just about detecting diseases, but about building a digital health database for each individual. Early detection of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and cancer at the primary healthcare level will significantly reduce treatment costs and increase survival rates. This is the most sustainable way to protect the country's human resources.
Minister Dao Hong Lan listens as Director of Bach Mai Hospital Dao Xuan Co introduces the hospital's application of technology and digital transformation. Photo: Tran Minh
Breakthroughs in digital transformation and smart healthcare; continued improvement in service quality and patient satisfaction.
PV: 2026 marks the beginning of a new term, and also the first year of implementing the Resolution of the 14th National Congress of the Party. Minister, what key areas will the health sector focus on to create momentum for the entire 2026-2031 period?
"The 14th National Congress opens up new visions and expectations for the development of the country and the health sector. The strategic directions and development goals established by the Congress will be a guiding principle for the health sector to innovate more strongly, proactively, and effectively in the coming period," - Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan
- Minister Dao Hong Lan: To successfully implement the Resolution of the 14th National Congress and realize the goals set by the Congress, the health sector will focus on implementing breakthrough solutions to improve the effectiveness and quality of healthcare, protection, and promotion of people's health, specifically:
Firstly , there needs to be a breakthrough in thinking and action in leadership, guidance, and organization of the work of protecting, caring for, and improving the health of the people.
Secondly , there needs to be a breakthrough in institutional and legal policies. Focus should be placed on perfecting the healthcare legal system, with a focus on promptly institutionalizing the Party's guidelines to create a comprehensive and transparent legal framework.
First and foremost, we need to put the Laws and Resolutions into practice, focusing on developing and submitting to the Government for promulgation the Decrees guiding the implementation of the Law on Disease Prevention, the Law on Population, and the Resolution on special mechanisms.
Thirdly , breakthroughs are needed in improving the capacity of the healthcare system, developing primary healthcare and preventive medicine. The National Target Program on healthcare, population, and development must be effectively implemented, ensuring that all health stations have sufficient doctors trained to meet requirements, adequate essential medicines, and basic equipment. Primary healthcare must effectively manage people's health throughout their lifecycle, prioritizing prevention over cure, thereby sustainably reducing pressure on higher-level hospitals and improving the quality of life for people at the grassroots level.
Simultaneously, focus on building a modern preventive healthcare system with sufficient capacity to forecast, monitor, and provide early warning and control of disease outbreaks. Invest in upgrading the system of disease control centers at all levels to ensure a rapid response to public health emergencies.
Continue implementing the plan to reorganize units under the Ministry of Health, aiming for a streamlined, effective, and efficient structure.
Complete the programs and projects in accordance with Government Resolution 282/NQ-CP, such as the Project on Developing the Out-of-Hospital Emergency Medical System for the period 2026-2030, the Development of Medical Tourism, the Project on Developing Several Specialized Medical Centers, and the Project on Enhancing the Capacity of the Testing and Inspection System in the Healthcare Sector…
Fourth , a breakthrough in financial mechanisms. Implement reforms in healthcare finance, develop effective and sustainable health insurance, and ensure it functions as the financial pillar of healthcare, guaranteeing healthcare security. Complete the plan to gradually implement the policy of waiving hospital fees.
Fifthly , vigorously reform healthcare human resource policies in conjunction with improving the quality of healthcare services. Comprehensively reform the style, spirit, and attitude of serving the people and patients, while simultaneously enhancing the professional capacity of healthcare staff. Develop a special salary and allowance mechanism commensurate with the contributions of medical professionals. Strengthen the medical training system according to international standards, linking training with practical practice through the National Medical Council.
Sixth , breakthroughs in digital transformation and smart healthcare. Digital healthcare is the shortest path to achieving equity in healthcare. The healthcare sector is determined to build a nationwide electronic medical record system and integrated electronic health records based on national population data. The development of a telemedicine system will strongly promote the expertise of leading specialists to reach remote areas, border regions, and islands. This is not just a technical solution, but a revolution in the way people are served in the digital age.
PV: Mr. Minister, what New Year's greeting would you like to express?
- Minister Dao Hong Lan: On behalf of the entire health sector, the Ministry of Health respectfully thanks the Central Party Committee, the National Assembly, the Government, the Prime Minister, and the Deputy Prime Ministers for their close attention, leadership, and guidance; the encouragement and support from ministries, sectors, and localities; and the solidarity and support of the people over the years.
The Ministry of Health hopes to continue receiving the attention, leadership, and guidance of the Party, the State, the National Assembly, the Government, the Prime Minister, and the Deputy Prime Ministers; the involvement of the entire political system; and the close cooperation and support of all levels, ministries, departments, organizations, and localities; as well as the sharing and consensus of the people, so that the health sector can develop sustainably and better fulfill its mission of protecting, caring for, and improving the health of the people.
As the new year 2026 arrives, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the healthcare team for their dedication and commitment to the development of the sector, enabling the healthcare industry to better fulfill its noble mission: protecting, caring for, and improving the health of the people.
The Ministry of Health hopes that every citizen will be their own "doctor," cherishing their health – the greatest asset of each individual and the nation.
Wishing all people across the country good health and happiness, and may they continue to contribute their efforts to the development of the nation as it enters a new era - the era of the Vietnamese people's resurgence!
PV: Thank you very much and best wishes for your health, Minister!
Source: https://suckhoedoisong.vn/bo-truong-dao-hong-lan-y-te-viet-nam-and-khat-vong-vuon-minh-trong-ky-nguyen-moi-169260213005816096.htm
Comment (0)