On the occasion of the 68th anniversary of Vietnam Medicine Day (February 27, 1955 - February 27, 2023), Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan shared with the press about the activities of the health sector and sent deep gratitude to all cadres and employees in the health sector.
Minister Dao Hong Lan (Photo TL).
Could the Minister please evaluate some of the outstanding achievements that the health sector has achieved in 2022?
Minister Dao Hong Lan: In 2022, with the attention, leadership and direction of the Party, National Assembly , Government, and the coordination of ministries, branches and localities, the health sector made every effort in the context of limited capacity and resources of the health system and achieved the following outstanding results:
To thoroughly grasp and organize the implementation of the Resolutions of the National Assembly and the Government on socio-economic development in 2022, the Ministry of Health has issued an Action Plan to implement Resolution No. 01/NQ-CP of the Government with the motto of action being "Solidarity, discipline, proactive adaptation, safety and efficiency, recovery and development"; in which the goals, targets and tasks assigned by the National Assembly are specified.
With drastic solutions, by the end of 2022, the entire health sector had completed and exceeded 3/3 of the main socio-economic targets assigned by the National Assembly, reaching 11.1 doctors, 31 hospital beds per 10,000 people, 92.03% of the population participating in health insurance; basically completing the specific targets of the sector and field in 2022 assigned by the Government.
Along with that, the health sector has focused on institutional improvement, including the approval of many important policies in the development of the health sector: The National Assembly passed the amended Law on Medical Examination and Treatment, issued Resolution No. 80/2023/QH15 on continuing to implement a number of policies in the prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic and the use of drug circulation registration certificates and drug ingredients that expired from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2024;
The Central Party Secretariat issued Directive No. 17-CT/TW dated October 21, 2022 on "Strengthening food security and safety in the new situation"; the Prime Minister issued Directive No. 16/CT-TTg dated September 20, 2022 on improving people's health care; proactively and flexibly adapting, contributing to rapid recovery and sustainable development...
The whole country has entered a new phase of “safe and flexible adaptation and effective control of the COVID-19 pandemic”. Vietnam is one of the countries with the highest COVID-19 vaccination coverage rate in the world.
Regular medical examination and treatment activities have gradually recovered after more than 2 years of COVID-19 prevention and control. Continue to effectively implement medical environment management, strengthen State management of food safety, food poisoning has decreased in both the number of cases and the number of cases compared to 2021. Organize periodic health check-ups for the elderly, take care of the health of mothers, children and newborns.
Continue to develop the network of medical human resource training facilities, develop professional competency standards, and health training program standards. Research and propose policies and regimes to attract medical human resources, and submit to the Government to adjust the preferential allowance regime for preventive medicine and grassroots health workers from 40%-70% to 100% according to Conclusion No. 25-KL/TW dated December 30, 2021 of the Politburo.
Administrative procedure reform and digital transformation have been promoted. Many public services of the Ministry of Health are provided at level 4. Connection and sharing between the COVID-19 vaccination database and the health administrative procedure information system with the National Population Database have been completed.
Preventive medicine and primary health care capacity has been enhanced; the health sector has implemented many solutions to overcome the shortage of drugs and medical equipment at medical examination and treatment facilities; coordinated with relevant ministries and agencies to review, propose amendments or clarify legal documents related to procurement and bidding.
Accelerate the issuance, renewal and maintenance of circulation registration certificates and import licenses for drugs and medical equipment; submit to the Prime Minister for promulgation a mechanism to support regular expenditures for public health service units whose revenue is not enough to cover expenditures due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Research and complete the basic health service package, develop prices for medical examination and treatment services, and medical treatment on demand.
In addition, maternal and child health care, traditional medicine, population, food safety, medical environment management, training and development of medical human resources, digital transformation of health care, etc. continue to be focused on. Inter-sectoral coordination, international cooperation, and communication activities are enhanced to create consensus among the whole society, technical and financial support for public health care.
Besides the achievements, what difficulties, shortcomings and challenges is the health sector facing, Minister?
Minister Dao Hong Lan: Our Vietnam is currently facing many difficulties due to the complicated developments of the COVID-19 epidemic. In the world, countries all agree that the COVID-19 epidemic cannot be completely controlled and that new, more dangerous strains of the virus may still appear, making the epidemic complicated and unpredictable.
Along with the COVID-19 pandemic, the outbreak of dengue fever, the risk of new dangerous diseases such as monkeypox, acute hepatitis of unknown cause... The health system still has unresolved shortcomings and limitations that have directly affected people's health care.
Along with that, the system of legal documents has been gradually completed but there are still many problems and inadequacies. In particular, procurement and bidding have not yet fully institutionalized the viewpoints, guidelines and policies in Resolution 20/NQ-TW and Resolution 21/NQ-TW. The capacity of the health system, especially primary health care and preventive medicine, is still limited.
The COVID-19 pandemic is still unpredictable, with the number of cases of some diseases such as dengue fever and hand, foot and mouth disease increasing. Vaccination rates in some regions and ethnic groups are not yet guaranteed. The quality of management, operation and patient care at some medical facilities is not yet up to the required standards.
The rate of disbursement of public investment capital has not yet met the requirements, some projects have been prolonged and have not been thoroughly resolved. The domestic pharmaceutical and medical equipment industry is still limited, and there is a shortage of drugs, supplies, and medical equipment in many medical facilities nationwide.
Digital transformation and information technology application have not yet met the requirements set forth by the Government and the Prime Minister, especially in the implementation of medical examination and treatment services, data interconnection, etc.
Management of the quality of health human resource training has not met the practical needs and the process of regional and international integration, as well as the spirit of fundamental and comprehensive innovation in education and training.
The situation of medical staff quitting their jobs, especially experienced and qualified personnel, at public health facilities due to increased work pressure, danger, and occupational risks; remuneration not commensurate with training time and job characteristics...
Recently, at the Conference on implementing health work in 2023, the Prime Minister emphasized: "In the coming time, the health sector needs to focus on building a fair, high-quality, effective, internationally integrated and sustainable health system". To do this, what breakthrough solutions are needed, Minister?
Minister Dao Hong Lan: 2023 is of great significance in implementing the Resolutions of the 13th National Party Congress and the Resolution of the National Assembly on the 5-year Socio-Economic Development Plan 2021 - 2025.
The world situation is forecast to continue to develop very complicatedly, rapidly, and unpredictably. Therefore, in order to complete the set goals, the health sector has been implementing many important solutions, including continuing to focus on building and perfecting the legal and institutional corridors in a timely manner, fully adhering to the Party's viewpoints and policies on health work.
Coordinate with relevant ministries and agencies to research and propose specific mechanisms for the health sector. Promote administrative reform, assignment, decentralization, and delegation of authority, along with resource allocation, improve the capacity of enforcement officers, and strengthen inspection, examination, supervision, and strict handling of violations.
Effectively implement the COVID-19 Prevention and Control Program and medical contents in the Socio-Economic Recovery and Development Program, and National Target Programs for the 2021-2025 period. Continue to closely monitor the epidemic situation, not allowing epidemics to overlap.
Effectively implement biosafety and testing activities, improve the capacity of the infectious disease testing system. Strengthen control of disease risk factors, manage non-communicable diseases; manage the medical environment, improve people's health.
Along with that, continue to focus on implementing the Project to build and develop the grassroots health network in the new situation. Promote the management of public health; take care of the health of the elderly, women, children, and workers.
Strengthen the capacity of the State management system on food safety. Effectively implement the Vietnam Population Strategy to 2030, the Project on Controlling Gender Imbalance at Birth, the Program on Adjusting Birth Rates to Appropriate Regions and Target Groups to 2030, and the Program on Health Care for the Elderly to 2030.
Continue to promote the development of regulations to create a legal environment for implementing innovation in training medical human resources towards international integration; Improve the capacity for scientific research - medical technology, pharmacy, biomedicine, prioritizing areas of strength;
Continue to implement programs to enhance training, technology transfer, and medical staff rotation to improve the quality of human resources at the grassroots level.
Promote the implementation of the digital transformation program for healthcare nationwide, online public service plan, connection and sharing with the National Public Service Portal and related systems.
Continue to improve the health information system in the direction of connecting reporting information from the central to local levels online to promptly respond to information in management and operation. Improve the quality and effectiveness of information and communication work so that the whole society can agree and participate in the work of protecting, caring for and improving people's health.
In 2023, the health sector will also focus on solutions to address the shortage of drugs, supplies, and medical equipment at medical examination and treatment facilities nationwide. Strengthen drug price management, ensure the pharmaceutical market is maintained stably, and provide enough vaccines for people's prevention and treatment needs. Maximize the effectiveness of centralized bidding and price negotiations to help reduce drug costs...
As the "industry commander", could you please share the lessons learned after a year of looking back at the ups and downs of the health sector in recent times?
Minister Dao Hong Lan: In 2022, despite facing many difficulties, challenges and incidents, the entire health sector has made efforts, united and determined to overcome all difficulties and challenges. Health work has achieved many very positive results in most areas. With the results achieved, we can draw some of the following lessons:
Firstly, closely follow the Party's guidelines and policies and the State's laws; promptly institutionalize the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress, the Resolutions, Directives and Conclusions of the Central Committee, the National Assembly and the Government into appropriate and feasible programs and action plans for the sector, agencies and organizations; focus on organizing the study and dissemination to collectives and individuals in the whole sector, and at the same time conduct inspection, supervision and urging of implementation.
Second, focus on drafting legal documents and perfecting institutions to create a safe and solid legal corridor, improving effectiveness and efficiency of implementation. Proactively and continuously review to promptly amend and supplement to meet practical needs.
Third, enhance the role and responsibility of leaders at all levels, pay attention to training and fostering to improve State management and professional capacity; reward and discipline promptly and strictly.
Fourth, strengthen discipline, order, and close coordination among agencies and units; attach importance to summarizing and evaluating practices, promptly drawing lessons from experience, and improving the capacity to analyze, evaluate, forecast, and warn, grasp the situation, promptly respond to, and effectively handle arising issues.
Fifth, promote information and policy communication; effectively mobilize all domestic and foreign resources, and strengthen international cooperation.
On the occasion of the 68th anniversary of Vietnamese Doctors' Day (February 27, 1955 - February 27, 2023), what messages and encouragement does the Minister have for cadres, civil servants, employees and workers in the health sector across the country?
Minister Dao Hong Lan: Over the past period, the health sector has overcome many difficulties and challenges, especially in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Health sector officials, workers and civil servants have always been the vanguard, united, steadfast in overcoming difficulties, putting patients first and ready to devote themselves when patients need them and the country needs them.
As the head of the health sector, over the past time I have somewhat understood the hardships and sacrifices of the medical team who devote themselves day and night to the patients.
Now more than ever, the health sector needs the sharing of all levels, sectors and the sympathy of the people to gradually overcome difficulties and challenges and successfully complete the assigned tasks in this period.
On the occasion of Vietnamese Doctors' Day, February 27, I would like to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to all doctors nationwide who have made continuous efforts and overcome all difficulties to effectively carry out the work of caring for and protecting people's health. It is forecasted that in the coming time, the health sector will face many new challenges. I hope that you will continue to unite, make more efforts and make more efforts, contributing to the cause of building and protecting the Fatherland, worthy of the honor of the Party, the State and the people.
On this occasion, I would like to once again express my gratitude to all the health workers and employees nationwide and their families and relatives who have always been a strong support and encouragement for each health worker to overcome difficulties and challenges and fulfill their duties well. I believe that the health workers and employees will continue to promote their role and intelligence to fulfill their mission of caring for and protecting the health of the people.
Thank you very much Minister!
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