More than 7 million people have diabetes, many with neurological and eye complications.

Vietnam has about 7 million people with diabetes, but more than 50% are undiagnosed. This creates a dangerous “iceberg” of complications, of which 39.5% are related to the eyes and nerves.

Mr. Nguyen Trong Khoa, Deputy Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management, Ministry of Health , shared at the seminar - Photo: T. THUY

"Iceberg" of complications in diabetic patients

On August 21, the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management (Ministry of Health ) in collaboration with the Vietnam Medical Association and Roche Pharma Vietnam Company Limited organized a scientific seminar "Towards building a comprehensive management model for patients with diabetic retinopathy and macular edema in hospitals".

The program was attended by ophthalmology and endocrinology experts and representatives from many hospitals such as Central Eye Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City Eye Hospital, Bach Mai Hospital, Central Geriatric Hospital, Ba Ria - Vung Tau Eye Hospital, etc., along with the non-governmental organization Orbis.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Health, Vietnam has about 7 million people with diabetes, but more than 50% have not been diagnosed. This creates a dangerous "iceberg" of potential complications, of which 39.5% are related to the eyes and nerves.

Research shows that up to 6 out of 10 people with diabetes have eye complications, but only a small number are screened and diagnosed early. Since 2016, it is estimated that there have been more than 320,000 patients with diabetic macular edema in Vietnam.

For example, in Ba Ria - Vung Tau, out of 18,000 patients with diabetic retinopathy and macular edema in the community, only about 600 people are managed and treated as outpatients at an eye hospital.

Experts say limited awareness, difficulty in accessing health services and cost burden are the main barriers, preventing many people from receiving timely intervention, leading to irreversible vision loss and even blindness.

Building a synchronous management model

Speaking at the seminar, Mr. Nguyen Trong Khoa - Deputy Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management (Ministry of Health) - emphasized the urgency of a comprehensive management model for patients with diabetic retinopathy and macular edema.

"This not only improves the quality of treatment but also promotes the development of ophthalmology at public hospitals, especially at the provincial level. We encourage the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in screening and early detection of retinal diseases," Mr. Khoa emphasized.

According to the plan, in the period 2025 - 2027, a number of key hospitals will be selected to pilot the management model.

Based on these results, national guidelines will be issued in 2027 and expanded nationwide in the period 2028 - 2030. The goal is that by 2030, over 75% of diabetic patients will be examined and monitored for eye diseases, in line with the national strategy for blindness prevention.

Mr. Pham Ngoc Dong - Director of the Central Eye Hospital - affirmed that the hospital will take the lead in developing and perfecting professional guidelines and related policies. Aiming to help patients be diagnosed and treated early, maintain vision and improve quality of life, especially for people of working age.

In the South, Dr. Nguyen Chi Trung The Truyen, deputy director of Ho Chi Minh City Eye Hospital, said the hospital is ready to participate in training and technology transfer to lower levels.

"We want to build a screening and early detection system for a large number of diabetic patients being managed at the grassroots level, both to reduce the burden on upper-level facilities and to help patients receive convenient and timely care," Mr. Truyen shared.

The seminar reached a high level of consensus on the need to establish a group of experts and build a clear coordination mechanism between the parties. This is expected to bring positive changes in the management of patients with diabetic retinopathy and macular edema, contributing to reducing the burden of blindness and improving the quality of life for the Vietnamese people.

WILLOW

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/hon-7-trieu-nguoi-mac-dai-thao-duong-nhieu-nguoi-bien-chung-than-kinh-mat-20250821194417764.htm