Building a smart hospital.

From applying chip-embedded citizen identification cards and implementing electronic medical records to mastering advanced techniques, the Central Highlands Regional General Hospital is gradually building a smart hospital foundation and improving the quality of service for the people.

Báo Đắk Lắk•30/06/2026

Reduce waiting times for medical examinations by 90% through digitalization.

As a first-tier, tertiary hospital in the region, the Central Highlands Regional General Hospital receives approximately 1,200 outpatient visits and provides treatment for over 1,500 inpatient beds daily. This large patient volume puts constant pressure on the reception area, while the previous paper-based management system reveals numerous limitations, such as lengthy procedures, cumbersome record retrieval and storage, difficulty in sharing information between departments, and high printing and storage costs.

To address this problem, the hospital has implemented a comprehensive set of digital transformation solutions, starting with the patient reception process. Through a self-service kiosk system and an electronic authentication platform under Government Decree 06, patients can register for examinations using their chip-embedded citizen identification card, the VNeID application, or their health insurance card via the VssID application. The system automatically connects to the National Population Database and the Health Insurance Database to verify and assign examination numbers according to specialty without manual data entry. This method reduces the registration time from 10-15 minutes to less than 1 minute, equivalent to a 90% reduction in patient waiting time, alleviating congestion in the registration area during peak hours.

Medical staff guide patients through the registration and information lookup process using their citizen ID cards at the Central Highlands Regional General Hospital. Photo: K. Hong

You may also like

Digital transformation in healthcare - From data to a smart healthcare ecosystem.In the process of building a modern healthcare system, digital transformation is no longer an option but a necessity to innovate management methods, improve the quality of medical examination and treatment, and aim for a people-centered service approach. In Dak Lak, digital transformation is being identified by the health sector as one of the breakthrough solutions to shorten the gap in access to healthcare services, improve governance efficiency, and build a smart healthcare ecosystem.

The doctor explains how to prepare and eat fish while preserving its nutrients.If not prepared properly, the amount of beneficial fats in fish can be significantly reduced, and the dish may even become a burden on health.

Platform for improving patient care qualityFrom digitizing administrative procedures, implementing electronic health records and medical records, to telemedicine and smart management platforms in hospitals, the health sector in Dak Lak is gradually changing its operating methods, making technology an important tool to improve the quality of healthcare for the people.

To date, the hospital has completed the implementation of electronic medical records (EMR), synchronously connecting with hospital management systems, laboratory management systems, medical image storage, digital signatures, and related databases. Currently, 100% of doctors and clinical nurses use digital signatures and approve medical orders online, replacing paper documents. Notably, the hospital's Laboratory Department has achieved ISO 15189:2022 certification. This is the first public hospital in the province to achieve this international standard, creating a standardized data foundation to support the development of future technological applications.

Paperless hospital

The combination of technological advancements and professional development has brought tangible benefits to the people. During a recent medical examination, Mr. Le Xuan Thin (74 years old, residing in Hamlet 8, Ea Ktur Commune) was diagnosed with a right cerebellopontine angle tumor and received treatment at the Central Highlands Regional General Hospital. Mr. Thin shared that previously, whenever he had a serious illness, his family would consider transferring him to central-level hospitals. Now, seeing the hospital's significant improvements, streamlined procedures, and the implementation of many modern techniques, he feels reassured and chooses treatment near home, reducing costs and making it more convenient for family members to care for him.

The Laboratory Department of the Central Highlands Regional General Hospital operates according to ISO 15189:2022 standards, meeting quality management requirements and ensuring accurate and reliable test results. Photo: K. Hong

According to Dr. Trinh Hong Nhut, Director of the Central Highlands Regional General Hospital, to move towards a paperless hospital, from July 1st, 2026 to August 31st, 2026, the hospital will conduct trials and evaluations, and officially cease using paper medical records from October 1st, 2026. In the future, the hospital will continue to receive and master many advanced techniques such as ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), controlled hypothermia in emergency resuscitation, cardiovascular intervention, and stroke treatment. Simultaneously, it will expand into oncology, radiotherapy, nuclear medicine, and other advanced treatment methods to meet the increasing healthcare needs of the people. Alongside this, the hospital will promote digital transformation, gradually applying artificial intelligence in supporting diagnosis and treatment, aiming towards a smart hospital model as directed by the Ministry of Health .

United States - Vietnam: Don't miss

Vietnam encourages US businesses to expand investment in high technology.On the morning of June 26th, at the Government Headquarters, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung received Mr. Jeff Place, Supply Chain Director of Coherent Group (USA). During the meeting, the Deputy Prime Minister affirmed that Vietnam encourages US businesses to expand investment, especially in high-tech, innovation, and semiconductor industries.

Encourage U.S. businesses to expand investment in high-tech sectors.Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung said that Vietnam welcomes US businesses to continue expanding their operations in Vietnam, especially in high-tech industries and sectors with high added value.