Opening the "door" to enhancing the capacity of the healthcare system.

Speaking with a reporter from the People's Representatives Newspaper, National Assembly Deputy Tran Khanh Thu (Hung Yen) stated that at the Tenth Session, many laws, resolutions, and policies related to healthcare were considered and passed by the National Assembly. This opens the door for the healthcare sector to continue improving the capacity of the healthcare system in general and, in particular, to address long-standing bottlenecks in the grassroots healthcare system.

Expectations for the future of the country's healthcare industry.

- During the Tenth Session, the National Assembly passed many important resolutions and policies related to the health sector. How do delegates evaluate these laws and resolutions ?

- As a healthcare professional, I am extremely pleased and hopeful about the future of the country's healthcare sector, as the Tenth Session of the National Assembly has considered and passed many important laws and resolutions related to healthcare. This opens a "door" for the healthcare sector to continue improving the capacity of the healthcare system in general and, in particular, to address the long-standing bottlenecks in the grassroots healthcare system.

National Assembly Deputy Tran Khanh Thu ( Hung Yen ). Photo: Ho Long

Specifically, the Population Law shifts the focus from population and planning to population development so that Vietnam's population in the new era will have the best physical strength, stature, and intellectual capacity to help the country develop and reach out to the international community. In addition, those working in population management will benefit from appropriate and adequate policies to best perform their duties.

The Law on Disease Prevention shifts the focus from the previous prevention and control of infectious diseases to disease prevention aimed at ensuring people have the best possible health and physical fitness. The law includes many humane policies related to nutrition for children, infants, pregnant women, and nutrition in disease prevention; it also adds content on mental health; and policies and regulations for staff working in preventive medicine.

The National Assembly also passed a Resolution on some breakthrough mechanisms and policies for the protection, care, and improvement of people's health; and a Resolution on the investment policy for the National Target Program on health care, population, and development for the period 2026-2035. These two resolutions were issued to institutionalize Resolution No. 72-NQ/TW of the Politburo and contain many truly groundbreaking policies.

Provide specific guidelines and allocate resources appropriately as soon as possible.

- What are your thoughts on the policies outlined in the two important resolutions mentioned above?

- First, the Resolution on some breakthrough mechanisms and policies for the protection, care, and improvement of people's health has expanded healthcare benefits and reduced medical costs for the people. From 2026, people will receive free periodic health check-ups at least once a year; expanded the scope of those eligible for 100% health insurance coverage; increased the rate and level of reimbursement for medical examination and treatment costs under health insurance, and increased funding for screening, diagnosis, and early treatment of certain diseases and priority groups.

I believe these are very groundbreaking policies with a significant impact; they reflect the Party and State's perspective of "putting the people at the center."

However, in reality, some bottlenecks still exist, such as the need to ensure sufficient human resources for healthcare, especially preventive medicine and primary healthcare.

To resolve this bottleneck, the National Assembly's resolution allowed doctors working in preventive medicine and primary healthcare, as well as certain other positions, to be classified at salary level 2 in the basic salary framework.

Furthermore, healthcare workers in preventive medicine and primary healthcare in remote areas receive 100% of their allowances; in other areas, it is 70%. These are very special policies that the Party and State have dành for healthcare workers. In addition, there are also policies aimed at promoting socialization, digital transformation, and international cooperation in the healthcare sector, with the goal of enabling people to access high-quality services right in their local areas.

To achieve the set goals, the most important thing is to have sufficient resources. Therefore, at the Tenth Session, the National Assembly also passed a Resolution on the investment policy for the National Target Program on healthcare, population and development for the period 2026 - 2035. Accordingly, the total capital for implementation in the first 5 years (2026 - 2030) is 88,635 billion VND.

Thus, along with institutional reforms, the National Assembly has collaborated with the Government and localities, allocating significant resources to help the health sector achieve strategic goals; demonstrating concern for the health sector with the aim of putting people's health at the center, prioritizing disease prevention above all else, and moving towards a higher goal for a healthy Vietnam.

- In order for laws and resolutions to be implemented quickly and policies to be effective, what solutions, according to the delegates, are needed?

- Many solutions have been outlined in individual resolutions as well as in laws. However, for the National Target Program, it's not just the health sector that needs to be involved; all ministries, sectors, localities, and the entire population are required to realize the program's contents.

I suggest that the Ministry of Health should urgently advise the Government to issue detailed regulations, as some policies will take effect as early as January 1, 2026. Along with that, specific guidelines should be issued soon, and resources should be allocated appropriately to resolve obstacles related to disbursement at the local level.

Particularly in the context of implementing a two-tiered local government model, I believe it is necessary to strengthen decentralization and delegation of power to ensure the superior and effective implementation of laws, resolutions, and programs and projects.

Thank you, delegates!

Source: https://daibieunhandan.vn/mo-canh-cua-nang-cao-nang-luc-cua-he-thong-y-te-10400532.html