With the merger of provinces and cities, will hospitals also be merged?

sáp nhập - Ảnh 1. — People go through procedures related to health insurance at a hospital in Ho Chi Minh City - Photo: DUYEN PHAN

Many readers sent questions to Tuoi Tre Online, wondering if the merger of provincial hospitals would affect their right to medical examination and treatment.

Merging health departments

Currently, there are nearly 13,000 health insurance-covered medical examination and treatment facilities nationwide (including approximately 2,897 medical examination and treatment facilities and nearly 10,000 commune health stations).

According to the guidelines on the restructuring and reorganization of healthcare facilities at all administrative levels, implementing the two-tiered local government model recently issued by the Ministry of Health , the restructuring plan will be implemented as follows:

For provinces and cities that have undergone reorganization and merger, a health department will be established under the People's Committee of the province after the reorganization, based on the merger of the existing health departments of the provinces and cities before the reorganization.

The Ministry of Health provides guidance based on a review and assessment of the functions, tasks, powers, and operational efficiency of existing public service units under the provincial/city health departments before restructuring. After restructuring, the director of the provincial/city health department advises and submits to the provincial People's Committee for decision on maintaining, dissolving, or reorganizing (merging, splitting, or adjusting names, functions, and tasks) the public service units under the provincial/city health department.

Essentially, the medical examination and treatment facilities remain unchanged.

The principle behind this arrangement is to ensure the uninterrupted provision of basic and essential services in areas under the state management of the local health sector.

Essentially, the existing medical examination and treatment facilities (general, specialized, and regional) and social welfare and social assistance facilities, which are public service units under the health department after the restructuring, will be maintained and preserved.

Maintaining healthcare facilities aims to ensure the continued provision of basic or specialized medical services, as well as social assistance and social work services, to meet the needs of local residents and social welfare beneficiaries.

For other public service units under the Department of Health (such as centers for disease control, medical examination, forensic medicine, or testing of drugs, cosmetics, and food...), the Director of the Department of Health shall develop a plan and submit it to the Provincial People's Committee for the merger of units with the same name, functions, tasks, and powers to establish a new unit under the Department of Health of the provinces and cities after the reorganization.

According to the Ministry of Health, depending on population size, geographical characteristics, and scope of operation, each of these new public service units may have multiple operating facilities, but must clearly define its tasks, powers, scope of operation, and coordination mechanisms.

Ensure there is no overlap in functions, responsibilities, or scope between the facilities of that public service unit.

With the existing district, town, and city-level health centers, it is necessary to reorganize them into regional health centers, which will be public service units directly under the provincial health department.

For provinces and cities that do not carry out mergers or reorganizations, the Ministry of Health provides basic guidance to maintain and preserve existing provincial and city-level health facilities.

The existing district, town, and city-level health centers need to be reorganized into regional health centers.

Based on a review and assessment of the functions, tasks, and operational efficiency of existing public service units, the director of the Department of Health will develop a plan for restructuring, reorganizing, merging, or dissolving units that are operating inefficiently, no longer have functions or tasks, or have overlapping functions and tasks with other public service units.

Merging health departments

Essentially, the medical examination and treatment facilities remain unchanged.

Comment (0)