Special policies are needed for healthcare in coastal and island areas.

Following his visit and working trip to the islands of the Truong Sa archipelago, Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan spoke with the press about the current state of the island healthcare system and the policies that need to be implemented to develop island healthcare to meet the health care and protection needs of the military and civilians in remote island areas.

Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan and a baby on the island. Photo: Ministry of Health.

How do you assess the current state of healthcare in coastal and island areas, especially maternal and child health care, preventive medicine, and nutrition for the people?

During our recent trip, we were delighted and very impressed to see many healthy, active, and cheerful children on the islands; this shows that the healthcare work for the people, especially women and children, has been very well done by the medical staff on the islands.

Women and children are groups that require special care, especially before, during, and after childbirth; children also need more attention regarding nutrition, disease prevention, vaccination, and environmental hygiene. We always hope that all children growing up on the islands will enjoy the same rights to preventive healthcare and nutrition as those on the mainland. Public health on the islands has also been very well managed, and the supply of clean water and daily meals for officers, soldiers, and residents on the islands is receiving increasing attention.

Besides treating diseases, preventive healthcare is crucial and must always be one step ahead, especially in the isolated environment of islands. The Ministry of Health will closely coordinate with forces on the islands to ensure that each residential area is clean, healthy, and free from infectious diseases, thereby continuously improving the physical fitness and stature of the people in the island region.

How do you assess the coordination between military and civilian medical services in providing healthcare for officers, soldiers, and people in coastal and island areas? How will this coordination be implemented in the future to better ensure healthcare in these areas?

Currently, healthcare in coastal and island areas is being implemented effectively through coordination between civilian and military medical personnel. In particular, the participation of civilian medical forces in supporting military medical services in coastal and island regions is increasing. Every year, units under the Ministry of Health organize health check-up trips for officers, soldiers, and civilians in coastal and island areas nationwide.

To further enhance the effectiveness of healthcare in island and coastal areas, the Ministry of Health has assigned relevant units to continue research and closely coordinate with military medical forces to ensure that soldiers, officials, and people on the islands have timely and rapid access to and the most appropriate handling of health-related situations.

We will also continue to actively coordinate with relevant ministries and agencies, especially the Ministry of National Defence and its medical facilities, to shift from a "case-by-case, support" coordination approach to a unified command and control mechanism for disaster and epidemic response at sea. Simultaneously, we will institutionalize the air ambulance process with a clear legal framework regarding costs, personnel, and system activation procedures.

The Ministry of Health donated medical equipment to support healthcare in coastal and island areas. Photo: Ministry of Health.

To realize the Program for the Development of Maritime and Island Healthcare by 2030 (Project 2348), according to the Deputy Minister, what are the key policy priorities that need to be focused on in the current period?

It can be affirmed that healthcare in island and coastal areas is not only a social welfare issue but also a crucial component of national security and defense. Protecting the health of military personnel and civilians in island areas is tantamount to protecting national sovereignty from an early stage and from afar.

The Ministry of Health recognizes that investing in the healthcare system in coastal and island areas is an investment in sustainable development and an affirmation of maritime sovereignty. Over the past period, the Ministry of Health and related agencies have developed programs and projects to develop healthcare in coastal and island areas, and these programs are being gradually implemented, contributing to improving the healthcare capacity in these areas so that officers, soldiers, and the people can access medical support as quickly as possible when health incidents occur.

For healthcare in coastal and island areas, the same norms, unit prices, and standards as on the mainland cannot be applied. A specific mechanism needs to be established for budget allocation, public investment, and procurement of medical supplies specifically for frontline healthcare. Coastal and island healthcare requires unique regulations, with significantly different standards for equipment, medicines, and personnel compared to the mainland.

In recent times, the role of pre-hospital emergency medical services in coastal and island areas has been very important. We have done very well in air ambulance services, having carried out hundreds of helicopter flights to transport patients to the mainland for timely treatment. This is a great effort by the State in its policy of supporting healthcare in coastal and island areas.

In the coming period, we need to further develop both maritime and air emergency medical services so that people in remote islands can receive timely emergency care in case of health or life-threatening incidents. At the same time, we also need to strengthen the collaboration between military and civilian medical services in healthcare, especially through remote consultations, thereby enabling intervention in complex cases right on the islands with support from the mainland.

To develop healthcare in coastal and island areas, a team of highly qualified doctors and medical staff is essential. According to you, what policies are needed to provide adequate compensation for doctors and medical staff willing to go to remote islands?

The medical staff working on the islands and islets are "heroes." We deeply admire the volunteer spirit of the doctors and nurses here. They are not only medical professionals but also soldiers protecting the sacred sovereignty of our sea and islands. I was deeply moved when I met the doctors and nurses, many of whom, despite their young age, volunteered to go to Truong Sa to contribute; many of them are graduates of medical residency programs. The dedication of these medical staff, especially in the Truong Sa archipelago, is a powerful source of strength for the sustainable development of the maritime healthcare system.

In the coming period, the Ministry of Health will advise the Government on perfecting the legal framework for special incentives for medical personnel working on islands. We hope that no doctor who dedicates themselves to serving on the islands will be disadvantaged in their career development. The mainland will always be the most solid and equitable support base for doctors on the frontline islands.

Thank you, sir!

According to Baotintuc.vn

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/can-nhung-chinh-sach-dac-biet-cho-y-te-bien-dao-a486015.html