The government creates, the private sector works together to create a breakthrough in socialized healthcare

(Chinhphu.vn) - From macroeconomic stability to breakthroughs in healthcare institutions, the Government's 2021-2026 term has left a deep mark on the spirit of action, creativity and service to the people. In particular, in the private healthcare sector, a series of fundamental policies have been implemented, opening a new stage of development, closely linking the public and private sectors in people's healthcare.

Prof. Academician Nguyen Van De, Chairman of the Vietnam Private Hospital Association - Photo: VGP

Many breakthrough policies and strategies

Assessing the country's socio-economic development achievements in the 2021-2026 term, Professor and Academician Nguyen Van De, Chairman of the Vietnam Private Hospital Association, emphasized that in the 2021-2026 term, the Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has demonstrated great courage, intelligence and action spirit, firmly pursuing the goal of stabilizing the macro-economy, controlling inflation, ensuring major balances, and at the same time strongly recovering after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The results achieved in socio-economic development during the past term were very comprehensive, demonstrating the Government 's decisive, creative, and people-serving governance role.

In particular, for the private economic sector, the Government has made a clear shift in thinking and action, considering this an important driving force of the economy.

The Government and the Prime Minister have issued and directed many breakthrough policies and strategies, promoting the socialization of healthcare , creating conditions for economic sectors to invest in the fields of medical examination and treatment, digital transformation and public healthcare.

Notably, the Government has advised the Party Central Committee and the Politburo to issue Resolution No. 72-NQ/TW on a number of breakthrough issues, strengthening the work of protecting, caring for and improving people's health in the new situation; at the same time, at the 10th Session of the 15th National Assembly, the Government submitted to the National Assembly a Resolution on a number of mechanisms and policies to create breakthroughs in the work of protecting, caring for and improving people's health.

In particular, the Government also submitted to the National Assembly for approval a Resolution stipulating a number of mechanisms and policies to remove difficulties and obstacles in the implementation of the Land Law, in order to resolve bottlenecks in institutions, policies and legal regulations that are still inadequate, hindering economic development in general and private healthcare in particular, especially in the field of land, which is a key factor for investment in healthcare infrastructure.

The Vietnam Private Hospital Association highly appreciates the Government's spirit of creativity, openness and listening throughout this term. Thanks to that, the policy environment for the private health sector has been gradually improved, contributing to unlocking social resources, reducing the burden on public health, and improving the quality of health care for the people.

Mr. Nguyen Cong Minh, Deputy Director of Phuong Dong General Hospital - Photo: VGP

Unblocking and strongly mobilizing private resources

Representing the private hospital sector, Mr. Nguyen Cong Minh, Deputy Director of Phuong Dong General Hospital, said that the 2021-2026 term of the Government has marked a great step forward for Vietnam: Stable macro-economy, high growth, bringing the economic scale to rank 32nd in the world; substantial social security, spending more than 1.1 million billion VND (17% of the State budget) and sharply reducing the multidimensional poverty rate; the health - social sector is a top priority, contributing to raising HDI by 18 levels, health insurance covers 95.2% of the population.

These results not only create a solid foundation for sustainable development, but also strongly mobilize private resources, including private healthcare, to participate more deeply in people's health care.

Mr. Nguyen Cong Minh also highly appreciated the Government's efforts and determination in promoting the private economic sector, an important driving force of growth, in line with the spirit of Resolution 10-NQ/TW of the Politburo.

Specifically, in the health sector, this term of office of the Government has promptly resolved institutional problems: Resolutely directing the handling of bottlenecks in drug procurement, bidding and health insurance settlement, shifting from "pre-inspection" to "post-inspection", helping private hospitals access resources more stably and transparently.

Support investment and technological innovation: approve the list of strategic medical technologies, promote digital transformation of the entire health sector, and submit to the National Assembly the National Target Program on Health, opening up opportunities for effective public-private partnership (PPP).

Ensuring social security and effectively responding to the global health crisis: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the "dual target" strategy and vaccine diplomacy have helped Vietnam successfully control the epidemic. Private hospitals have been effectively mobilized, contributing to sharing the burden with the public system, affirming their role in accompanying the State in taking care of people's health.

Through government policies, the private healthcare system has developed strongly - Photo: VGP

Through these policies, the private healthcare system has grown strongly with the number of high-quality private hospitals increasing from nearly 200 to more than 300 facilities; serving over 20 million patients each year; contributing about 15% of total national healthcare expenditure.

"We see that the Government has truly created a healthy competitive environment, unleashed socialized resources for healthcare, and helped the private hospital system become a "new driving force" for socio-economic development, in line with the spirit of the Prime Minister's Report," Mr. Nguyen Cong Minh emphasized.

Recommendations for continued development of the private healthcare sector in the coming period

To continue the achievements and overcome new challenges such as population aging, climate change and the need for high-quality healthcare, Mr. Nguyen Cong Minh also proposed 5 key recommendations.

Firstly, perfecting the institution to support public-private partnership (PPP) in healthcare; issuing preferential policies on tax, credit, and land for private healthcare projects; encouraging investment in green and digital healthcare infrastructure, linked to the National Green Transformation Project, aiming for 100% of people to have access to high-quality healthcare services.

Second, simplify administrative procedures, promote digitalization of the entire health sector, expand the National Public Service Portal for licensing procedures, bidding for drugs and equipment; apply AI and big data in post-inspection, reduce over 50% of time and costs for private health enterprises.

Third, develop high-quality medical human resources, support international joint training of about 50,000 doctors/year; allow private hospitals to participate more deeply in the National Target Program on health.

Fourth, promote innovation and digital transformation in healthcare, establish a fund to support research and development of healthcare technology; encourage private healthcare startups in the fields of AI, telemedicine, and smart imaging diagnosis.

Fifth, strengthen international cooperation and ensure universal health security, expand FTAs ​​in the health sector to reduce costs of equipment and medicines, etc.

From the perspective of representing the voice of private medical facilities, Chairman of the Vietnam Private Hospital Association Nguyen Van De recommended that the Government continue to pay attention to and improve institutions and policies towards creating an equal and transparent legal environment between public and private health care, considering these as two unified components of the national health system. Incentives and investment support for private hospitals participating in providing public services, implementing community health programs and expanding operations in remote areas where people have limited access to high-quality health services.

The Association also proposed that the Government continue to promote administrative procedure reform in the health sector, especially regulations related to health insurance payments, ensuring publicity, transparency and convenience for businesses, strengthening public-private dialogue mechanisms, promoting the policy-review role of professional associations, creating consensus and sharing responsibility between the state, businesses and society in health development.

Opinions are shared that, from the Government's efforts to create and accompany, a new journey of private healthcare is opening up, affirming its position alongside public healthcare, sharing the same goal of moving towards a healthy, happy and prosperous Vietnam.

Hien Minh

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/chinh-phu-kien-tao-tu-nhan-dong-hanh-tao-dot-pha-xa-hoi-hoa-y-te-102251105172221786.htm