Reform and invest in healthcare to achieve the goal of free hospitalisation for all people

The health sector needs to effectively utilize all resources from the state budget, health insurance, public-private partnership and socialization to increase investment in primary health care, ensuring that people in all regions have access to essential, quality and safe health services. The changes aim to ensure that every citizen has an annual health check-up, gradually moving towards the extremely humane and noble goal of free hospitalisation for all people according to the policies and orientations of the Party and State leaders.

Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan emphasized this at the Annual Conference of the Hospital Directors Club of Northern Provinces held on April 19 in Hai Duong, with the theme "Smart hospitals and sustainable management."

Smart hospital model - The trend of the times

Speaking at the Conference, Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan emphasized that the theme of "Smart Hospital and Sustainable Management" is appropriate, closely following the guidance of the Party and State, as well as the long-term development orientation of the sector. In particular, Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW dated December 22, 2024 of the Politburo clearly identified the development of science, technology, innovation and digital transformation as strategic breakthroughs in national development, in which the health sector needs to take the lead in applying new achievements to serve the work of protecting, caring for and improving people's health.

Deputy Minister Thuan said that in recent years, the hospital system nationwide has made many changes in management, improved service quality and applied technology, but there are still many shortcomings. Although the bidding and procurement of drugs and medical equipment have improved, there are still places where there is a shortage of drugs and supplies, affecting professional activities. The financial mechanism and implementation of autonomy are still inadequate. Some units face many difficulties in balancing finances.

In addition, the current health insurance payment mechanism, technical and economic norms and service price framework are not yet suitable for the actual costs incurred at hospitals. In many hospitals, digital transformation has achieved initial results but implementation is uneven, there is a lack of human resources...

Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan speaks at the Annual Conference of the Hospital Directors Club of Northern Provinces. (Photo: PV/Vietnam+)

Therefore, the Ministry of Health requires hospitals to strongly apply digital transformation, operate transparently and effectively in real time, build smart hospitals with patients at the center, and consider patient safety and life as top priority.

Regarding the issue of electronic medical records, Dr. Ha Anh Duc - Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management said that the Department has recently advised the leaders of the Ministry of Health to sign documents on the list of inter-clinical tests with identification codes for each hospital. These lists all meet more than 90% of international standards. This is the first guarantee for data interconnection nationwide. When this list is available, medical facilities will apply electronic medical records more conveniently.

Regarding the clinical list, with hundreds of different lists, the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management is determined to submit these lists by the end of May to gradually ensure the feasibility of the roadmap for implementing electronic medical records.

Need to innovate hospital management thinking

Associate Professor Dao Xuan Co - Director of Bach Mai Hospital, Chairman of the Club of Hospital Directors of Northern Provinces emphasized that the health sector is entering a period of development full of potential but also many challenges. In addition to the continuous efforts in medical examination and treatment, hospitals identify science, technology and innovation as the key to improving the quality of medical services, increasingly better meeting the diverse health care needs of the people.

Associate Professor Dao Xuan Co - Director of Bach Mai Hospital, Chairman of the Hospital Directors Club of Northern Provinces. (Photo: PV/Vietnam+)

In particular, the Government's Project 06 on digital transformation has pushed the healthcare sector to make breakthroughs in applying information technology, from digitizing the entire medical examination and treatment process, connecting medical data, to applying artificial intelligence in diagnosis and treatment.

Bach Mai Hospital has applied completely electronic medical records since November 2024, deployed the "Bach Mai Care" application to help patients proactively look up information and medical examination history; implemented a streamlined management project, standardized processes, optimized costs; cooperated with many partners to develop a green, environmentally friendly hospital model.

According to Associate Professor Dao Xuan Co, building smart hospitals and sustainable management is not only to increase internal efficiency but also to narrow the healthcare gap between regions, aiming for a universal, personalized and humane healthcare system.

Conference scene. (Photo: PV/Vietnam+)

To gradually overcome difficulties, improve the quality of medical examination and treatment and aim for sustainable development of the health sector in the new era, Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan suggested that hospitals need to innovate their hospital management thinking, including extensive application of digital transformation in management, operation and expertise; It is necessary to shift from an administrative management model to a modern management model, transparent in operation, effective in decision making. Medical facilities must also thoroughly overcome difficulties in bidding, purchasing drugs, equipment and medical supplies, ensuring publicity, transparency and timely professional services.

“In particular, hospitals need to promote the implementation of electronic medical records, electronic health records, quality management systems, interconnection between units, towards building a smart hospital model, meeting the requirements of real-time management and patient-centered care. Upper-level hospitals should increase professional support, on-site training, apply information technology in remote consultation and treatment, and at the same time replicate the satellite hospital model in a sustainable manner, linked to the practical needs and reception capacity of each facility,” the Deputy Minister of Health pointed out./.

The annual conference of the Hospital Directors Club of Northern provinces, taking place over 2 days (April 18-19), is a forum for those directly leading and operating the medical examination and treatment system at both central and local levels to frankly share difficulties and obstacles, exchange experiences in the process of digital transformation, improve management quality, ensure patient safety and sustainable development in a context of many fluctuations./.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/cai-cach-dau-tu-cho-y-te-de-huong-den-muc-tieu-mien-vien-phi-toan-dan-post1033791.vnp