Free Hospitalization - A Great Policy for the People

New policies and guidelines

According to the Law on Health Insurance (HI) 2024, from January 1, 2025, HI participants with rare or serious diseases requiring surgery or high technology can go to a hospital other than the initial registration location and still be paid 100% by HI without needing a referral letter as before.

And recently, the policy of free hospital fees has made all classes of people excited and grateful. Ms. Ma Thi Nhi, Head of Noong Phuong village, Minh Quang commune (Lam Binh) commented: "This is a step that clearly demonstrates the superiority of the regime. In the context of our country's difficulties, the above "commitments" also demonstrate the efforts of the Party and State to ensure solid social security".

People receive hemodialysis treatment at Chiem Hoa District Medical Center.

“I think this is an absolutely correct and wonderful policy in the current situation, demonstrating the determination to realize the policy of “leaving no one behind”, always taking the people as the center. I have witnessed tears of helplessness when there are no conditions for medical treatment, so if this policy is implemented soon, it will be a wonderful thing” - said Doctor Ngo Cao Lam, Deputy Director of Son Duong District Medical Center.

Voice from practice

The Provincial General Hospital is the province's last resort, where serious cases are treated. Every day, the hospital receives over 1,000 people for examination and treatment. At the Intensive Care and Anti-Poison Department, the Provincial General Hospital treats over 40 serious patients every day. Because of the acute nature of the disease, each patient admitted here is likely to be in a situation of "betting" with fate. Recently, Mr. HAT (40 years old), Vinh Quang commune (Chiem Hoa) was transferred from a lower level in a state of severe pneumonia with complications of septic shock and severe respiratory failure.

Ms. Hoang Thi N, the patient's wife, said that because she was subjective, she and her husband were self-employed and did not buy health insurance cards. Now that her husband is in the hospital, the cost of treatment is 5 million VND per day, leaving her family with nowhere to turn. Therefore, Ms. N. really hopes that the policy of exempting hospital fees will be implemented soon to reduce the family's financial burden.

Beckman Coulter automated immunochemical testing system serves the examination and treatment of patients at the Provincial General Hospital.

Most cancer patients often discover the disease when it has become severe, making the cost even higher. Ms. Phan Kim Th, from Minh Xuan Ward (Tuyen Quang City), is being treated for breast cancer that has metastasized to the liver. The immunotherapy regimen for one treatment costs 70 million VND/month, but is not covered by health insurance, not to mention the costs of testing, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, hospital bed fees, and nutritional costs. Currently, her family has had to sell their house in the countryside to have enough money for her to receive the correct treatment. "I have witnessed many patients who do not have enough money for treatment and have had to ask to go home, suffer pain, and die. Now that there is a policy of exempting hospital fees, I hope that many cancer patients will have the opportunity to prolong their lives," Ms. Th. said.

Doctor Ha Van Linh, Director of Chiem Hoa District Medical Center shared: “Health is the most valuable asset of each person. Therefore, when the policy of free hospital fees is applied, people, especially those in difficult circumstances, living in remote areas, will have more regular health check-ups and if each person has a regular health check-up every year, many diseases can be detected early, treated promptly, reducing costs and burdens on the entire health system”.

According to Dr. Nguyen Hung Dao, Director of the Provincial General Hospital, to implement this, there must be detailed guidance documents and a systematic implementation. The important thing is that the policy must ensure uniformity in the health system, and each hospital cannot implement it in its own way. The exemption of hospital fees for all people can be implemented through universal health insurance. Currently, health insurance has helped reduce the financial burden on people when examining and treating diseases. If every person has an insurance card, they can access medical services without worrying about the cost.

Dr. La Dang Tai, Deputy Director of the Department of Health, said: "This is a great policy, especially for mountainous areas and ethnic minorities, to improve the quality of life of the people." Currently, although ethnic minorities in communes in extremely difficult areas are granted free health insurance cards by the State, there have been some changes in recent times, with communes that have completed the new rural area, and have been removed from difficult areas, no longer being granted free health insurance cards. Meanwhile, the economic life of the people is still difficult, so without health insurance cards, the high cost of medical examination and treatment makes their families very difficult.

Free hospitalisation for all is a humane policy and will be completely feasible along with sustainable economic development and a reasonable budget allocation policy. The implementation of this policy will bring opportunities to improve the quality of health care for the people, opening up many opportunities for the development of each person's life. Free hospitalisation is not only a policy but also a commitment to a prosperous and happy future for the people.

Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/mien-vien-phi-chu-truong-lon-vi-dan-211674.html