Expanding screening programs and improving population quality.

Implementing the Program for Expanding Prenatal and Neonatal Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment for the period 2021-2025, Thai Nguyen province aims to strongly develop the network of services providing pre-marital counseling and health check-ups; and prenatal and neonatal screening. This is a challenging task, but with a systematic approach, Thai Nguyen has achieved positive results.

Prenatal ultrasound imaging at Hospital A in Thai Nguyen .

Pre-marital health checkups involve a comprehensive examination of reproductive health issues for both men and women, helping couples feel more secure as they enter married life and proactively plan for parenthood.

Meanwhile, prenatal and newborn screening plays a crucial role in the early detection of congenital abnormalities, facilitating timely diagnosis, intervention, and treatment for children from the fetal stage or after birth. This helps children be born and develop normally, limiting the severe consequences caused by diseases.

To make these services more accessible to the people, during the period 2021-2025, Thai Nguyen province has accelerated the development of the service delivery network throughout the area.

To date, the network has been gradually strengthened and expanded, encompassing both public and private healthcare sectors. The healthcare system participating in service provision is deployed at various levels, from Thai Nguyen Central Hospital and Thai Nguyen A Hospital to health centers, health stations, and a number of private healthcare facilities.

Many provincial-level medical facilities and health centers have gradually applied specialized techniques in prenatal and neonatal screening in accordance with the guidelines of the Ministry of Health . Service quality has been improved through regular inspections and monitoring.

Ms. Vu Thi Nhung, from group 90, Phan Dinh Phung ward, said: "I got married almost a year ago and am 5 months pregnant. With the increasingly diverse network of service providers, pre-marital health check-ups and prenatal screenings have become more convenient and accessible."

Along with developing the service network, efforts to enhance the capacity of healthcare staff are being prioritized and implemented.

Ms. Tieu Thi Van Hanh, Deputy Director of the Department of Health, said: The Department of Health has organized training courses to enhance knowledge and skills in counseling, mobilizing, and managing the use of pre-marital health check-up, prenatal screening, and newborn screening services for health workers and population officials at health centers and health stations. At the same time, staff regularly participate in advanced training courses on prenatal ultrasound and heel prick blood sampling techniques for newborn screening organized by the central level.

Many medical facilities in the province have been conducting newborn screening for infants.

During the period 2021-2025, Thai Nguyen built and completed the Center for Prenatal and Neonatal Screening and Diagnosis in the Northern mountainous region at Thai Nguyen Hospital A.

The center is gradually deploying prenatal diagnostic and newborn screening services, meeting the needs of people in the province and neighboring localities for examination and screening, contributing to improving the quality of the population and ensuring social welfare.

However, developing the service delivery network at the grassroots level still faces many challenges. The majority of commune health stations do not fully meet the requirements in terms of facilities, equipment, and personnel to implement advanced screening techniques.

In the non-public sector, although some private healthcare facilities have participated in providing services, the level of participation is uneven; the linkage, coordination, and sharing of professional data with the public healthcare system remain limited.

Given this reality, during the period 2026-2030, Thai Nguyen plans to continue investing in upgrading facilities and equipment for units providing screening services, gradually expanding implementation starting from the commune and ward health levels.

At the same time, it is encouraged to expand service provision in the private healthcare sector, ensuring consistent quality management. The focus is on continuing to enhance the capacity of population officials, village health workers, and technical staff to effectively implement the program and contribute to improving the quality of the population in the new context.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/y-te/202512/mo-rong-sang-locnang-cao-chat-luong-dan-so-3817c1e/