Step by step to remove difficulties of rehabilitation system

Improve health, develop sustainable society.

On August 18, the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management (Ministry of Health) held a conference to implement Decision No. 569 of the Prime Minister approving the Rehabilitation System Development Program for the 2023-2030 period, with a vision to 2050.

Associate Professor, Dr. Luong Ngoc Khue, Vice Chairman of the National Medical Council, shared that rehabilitation is one of the indispensable fields of a complete health system.

Rehabilitation is a health service for people with disabilities and any person with a health problem, acute or chronic impairment or injury that limits their ability to function.

Ensure that people with disabilities and those in need of rehabilitation have access to quality, comprehensive, continuous and equitable rehabilitation services to improve health and promote sustainable social development.

Currently, the rehabilitation network is being consolidated and developed from the central to local levels: 2 central-level rehabilitation hospitals/centers; 38 provincial-level rehabilitation hospitals and 25 rehabilitation hospitals under ministries and branches.

Event - Step by step to remove difficulties of the rehabilitation system — According to Associate Professor, Dr. Luong Ngoc Khue, the rehabilitation network is strengthened and developed from the central to local levels.

Of these, hospitals under the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs account for the majority; 550 rehabilitation departments belong to general and specialized hospitals at the central, provincial and district levels. Over 9,000/11,000 communes assign staff to monitor rehabilitation work; about 25% of communes provide rehabilitation services at the commune level and community-based rehabilitation.

Technical expertise is increasingly developed and improved. Rehabilitation services are provided at all levels of health care. Currently, the Ministry of Health and the Department of Health have granted rehabilitation practice certificates to 2,431 individuals. Of these, 1,721 are technicians. Data from the formal training system shows that about 7,200 people are trained in rehabilitation.

However, the rehabilitation sector also faces many difficulties, the majority of facilities are still cramped, lacking modern equipment, many rehabilitation facilities are not accessible to people with disabilities: there are no aisles for wheelchair users, no sign language interpreters; the rehabilitation workforce is still low compared to the world, 0.25 rehabilitation staff/10,000 people, while the World Health Organization recommends 0.5-1 rehabilitation staff/10,000 people.

Currently, 10 localities have merged rehabilitation hospitals into traditional medicine hospitals, reducing the number of rehabilitation hospitals.

Lack of coordination and connection in professional activities; lack of quality control by local state health management agencies for rehabilitation facilities managed by other ministries and branches;

Rehabilitation intervention techniques are not yet covered by health insurance, which is a burden for people with disabilities and their families;

Local budgets for rehabilitation of people with disabilities have hardly been allocated, or if they are, very few localities have allocated funds, especially for community-based rehabilitation work....

Develop a suitable program implementation plan

To gradually resolve the difficulties of the rehabilitation system, on November 1, 2019, the Secretariat of the 12th Party Central Committee issued Directive No. 39 of the Secretariat on strengthening the Party's leadership over work for people with disabilities;

Decision No. 753 of the Prime Minister promulgating the Plan to implement Directive No. 39 of the Secretariat is an important basis for the Ministry of Health to develop and submit to the Prime Minister for signing and promulgation Decision No. 569 of the Prime Minister approving the Program for developing the Rehabilitation system for the period 2023-2030, with a vision to 2050.

Event - Step by step to remove difficulties of the rehabilitation system (Figure 2). — Prof. Dr. Tran Van Thuan - Deputy Minister of Health spoke at the Conference.

To effectively implement Decision No. 569 of the Prime Minister, Prof. Dr. Tran Van Thuan - Deputy Minister of Health requests Ministries, Departments, branches, localities, central and local agencies, and relevant organizations:

Direct the implementation of Decision No. 569 of the Prime Minister approving the program for developing the Rehabilitation system for the period 2023-2030, with a vision to 2050 within the scope, functions and tasks. For localities, it is recommended to include the goals and targets for implementing the program in the local socio-economic development program and plan.

Research, closely follow the viewpoints, goals, targets, task contents, solutions and implementation organization, specific tasks of local ministries, agencies and units to develop a suitable program implementation plan (the Ministry of Health has issued Official Dispatch 4560 guiding localities in developing plans).

Allocate sufficient resources and facilities, integrate this program with other programs, tasks, projects and plans for implementation locally.

Direct People's Committees at all levels to develop and implement community-based rehabilitation programs; create conditions for agencies, organizations and individuals to organize or participate in community-based rehabilitation activities.

Organize, monitor, inspect, and supervise the implementation of the program. Annually, send reports according to instructions on the status and results of the program implementation to the Ministry of Health for synthesis and reporting to the Prime Minister .

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