Vietnam strongly and comprehensively promotes digital transformation in the healthcare sector

Currently, Vietnam's healthcare system is strongly and deeply affected by the fourth industrial revolution, digital transformation and innovation. This is both an inevitable trend and a mandatory requirement for the healthcare sector to develop sustainably, equitably, with quality, efficiency and international integration. Therefore, in the coming time, it is necessary to further promote digital transformation in healthcare, continuously improving the quality of healthcare for the people.

Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long emphasized this when speaking at the Forum “Innovation and digital transformation to promote comprehensive and sustainable healthcare, meeting Vietnam's development requirements in the new era,” organized by Pharma Group in collaboration with FPT Technology Group on June 6, in Hanoi.

Digital transformation of healthcare has made important progress

Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long emphasized that health is the most valuable asset of human beings. Over the years, our Party and State have always identified caring for, protecting and improving people's health as one of the top priorities, and have issued and effectively implemented many guidelines, policies and laws to develop the health sector.

Currently, Vietnam's healthcare system is strongly and deeply affected by the fourth industrial revolution, digital transformation and innovation. This is both an inevitable trend and a mandatory requirement for the healthcare sector to develop sustainably, equitably, with quality, efficiency and international integration. Science and technology are profoundly changing the approach to medical examination and treatment, disease prevention, scientific research, training, healthcare management and people's health management.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister, in recent times, digital transformation in healthcare has made important progress: 100% of medical examination and treatment facilities have deployed hospital information systems; many medical facilities have deployed electronic health records on VneID, remote medical examination and treatment, applied electronic prescriptions and artificial intelligence to support treatment, and used robots in surgery.

However, digital transformation in healthcare still faces many difficulties and challenges: Infrastructure, information security systems, and network security are not yet synchronized; digital transformation is not uniform among sectors; high-quality medical human resources are still lacking and do not meet practical requirements. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed many shortcomings and limitations, especially in preventive medicine, primary health care, drug supply capacity, medical equipment, etc.

Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long said that the above issues pose an urgent need for innovation in leadership and direction to strongly and comprehensively implement people's health care in the new era as directed by General Secretary To Lam at meetings with the health sector: Innovation in thinking from medical examination and treatment to focusing on disease prevention and health improvement; especially breakthroughs in science and technology development, innovation and comprehensive digital transformation in the health sector.

With that spirit, the Politburo has recently issued Resolution No. 57 on breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation and digital transformation; Resolution No. 59 on international integration in the new situation; Resolution No. 66 on innovation in law-making and enforcement; Resolution No. 68 on private economic development. These are important policies, the institutional pillars that are the foundation for national development. These resolutions, together with the Politburo's resolution on the health sector to be issued soon, will create strong momentum and breakthroughs in public health care.

Mr. Truong Gia Binh - Head of the Private Economic Development Research Department, Chairman of the Board of Directors of FPT Corporation shared. (Photo: PV/Vietnam+)

Mr. Truong Gia Binh - Head of the Private Economic Development Research Department, Chairman of the Board of Directors of FPT Corporation shared: “Vietnam has chosen to enter the era of self-development. To realize that aspiration, the healthcare sector needs three breakthroughs: mechanism, innovation and public-private partnership. Regarding mechanism, we must abandon the mindset of 'if you can't manage it, ban it', and shift to considering mechanism as the national competitive strength. How can Vietnamese people access new drugs as quickly as the people of the US and Japan? How can we increase the rate of access to new drugs from 9% to 51% like Japan? That must be the goal of institutional reform.”

According to Mr. Binh, in terms of innovation, Vietnam can become a center for clinical trials and production of new drugs based on AI. Because Vietnam has one million IT engineers and is aiming for 500,000 workers with AI knowledge and skills - that is human power. In terms of public-private cooperation, it is necessary to link hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, doctors, and pharmacists on a common data platform.

“We need to train a workforce that is both good at information technology and understands medicine. We can only join the ranks of advanced countries in the world when we enter the most advanced industries, including the pharmaceutical industry,” emphasized the Chairman of the Board of Directors of FPT Corporation.

Strongly promote domestic pharmaceutical industry

Speaking at the forum, Mr. Marc E. Knapper - US Ambassador to Vietnam emphasized that innovations in healthcare and pharmaceuticals have created meaningful steps to help improve healthcare for the Vietnamese people. Over the years, the Ministry of Health has had many cooperations with US businesses and the two sides have policy frameworks to create favorable conditions related to innovation, digital transformation to promote comprehensive and sustainable healthcare. Commitments to create a favorable legal framework in establishing an investment and business environment, intellectual property, and pharmaceuticals with many steps to cut administrative procedures to ensure Vietnam has quick access to the newest and most advanced drugs at reasonable prices.

Mr. Marc E. Knapper - US Ambassador to Vietnam. (Photo: PV/Vietnam+)

“In the spirit of strategic cooperation, we always support Vietnam in pursuing a sustainable healthcare strategy. US businesses are committed to bringing the latest advanced technology in the healthcare field with the best capacity. We are committed to continuing cooperation between the two countries in medical training, innovative research with a more developed healthcare innovation ecosystem, so that Vietnamese patients can enjoy the best healthcare services,” the US Ambassador to Vietnam pointed out.

Mr. Darrell Oh, Chairman of Pharma Group, affirmed that Pharma Group - representing the pharmaceutical innovation industry - will commit to accompany Vietnam on the journey to realize the 2045 vision. When all parties join hands, they will be able to turn policy aspirations into real changes, contributing to improving people's health in the long term. Because investing in healthcare is investing in the most valuable resource of the country, the Vietnamese people.

On this occasion, Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long shared some orientations for the coming time to further promote digital transformation in healthcare, continuously improving the quality of healthcare for the people. That is to strongly and comprehensively promote digital transformation in healthcare, ensuring efficiency and savings in the context of limited resources; effectively deploy electronic health books, electronic medical records, electronic prescriptions; connect data in the fields of healthcare and health insurance. Strengthen research, development, and application of science and technology, especially artificial intelligence, blockchain, big data, internet of things, etc. in providing healthcare services.

The Deputy Prime Minister also requested to promote scientific research, improve the capacity of research centers, testing, high technology, laboratories and scientific research facilities; prioritize research in the fields of biotechnology, disease monitoring and early warning, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment.

In particular, these are policies to strongly promote the domestic pharmaceutical industry, enhance self-sufficiency in drugs, vaccines, biological products, pharmaceutical ingredients and medical equipment; Focus on research and production of new drugs, invented drugs, high-tech drugs, herbal medicines, vaccines, biological products, etc.

Discussion sessions at the Forum. (Photo: PV/Vietnam+)

On this occasion, the Deputy Prime Minister hopes that domestic and foreign experts, scientists, and businesses will continue to accompany and closely coordinate with Vietnam's health sector to develop comprehensively and sustainably, better care for and protect people's health, and contribute to the development of the health sector in the region and the world.

The forum is an opportunity for multi-dimensional dialogue between policy makers, management agencies, domestic and foreign experts, pharmaceutical enterprises, technology enterprises, medical examination and treatment facilities, etc. to find the most effective solutions for people's health care to meet development requirements in the new era.

With a theme covering both national strategies and specific initiatives, the Forum aims to address three key challenges: improving people's quality of life, improving access to healthcare, and promoting the pharmaceutical industry to develop towards innovation based on AI and data.

At the Forum, there were discussion sessions with many topics: "Realizing the vision", "Research and development in Vietnam in the AI era - Creating a breakthrough research ecosystem", "Realizing the vision of universal health care - Promoting comprehensive and sustainable health care".../.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/viet-nam-thuc-day-manh-me-toan-dien-chuyen-doi-so-trong-linh-vuc-y-te-post1042858.vnp