* REPORTER: Looking back at 2023, the health sector has achieved many positive results. Can the Minister elaborate?
- Minister DAO HONG LAN: With the attention, leadership and close direction of the Party and State, the coordination of ministries, branches and localities, the support of the people, along with the efforts, efforts, consensus and upholding the sense of responsibility of the medical staff, last year, the health sector overcame many difficulties, completed key tasks, and actively contributed to the overall success of the country. In particular, the health sector exceeded 3/3 of the main socio-economic targets assigned by the National Assembly (achieving 12.5 doctors/10,000 people; 32 hospital beds/10,000 people and 93.2% of the population participating in health insurance). At the same time, the health sector also achieved and exceeded 7/9 specific targets of the sector and field assigned by the Government.
In particular, we continue to control many dangerous infectious diseases, of which the Covid-19 epidemic has been controlled and since October 20, 2023, it has been moved from group A infectious disease to group B. The work of preventing non-communicable diseases is increasingly focused and concerned to protect and improve people's health.
Regarding medical examination and treatment activities, the whole sector has focused on implementing synchronous solutions to improve the quality of medical services for the people; promoting the implementation of satellite hospital projects, family doctors, remote medical examination and treatment, many advanced medical techniques have been transferred to lower levels, contributing to reducing the load on upper-level hospitals... Through assessment, it shows that the satisfaction rate of people with medical services is over 90%.
The Ministry of Health has also focused on building, amending and perfecting many mechanisms and policies to gradually remove shortcomings and inadequacies in the procurement of drugs, medical supplies and vaccines; building a mechanism for payment of medical examination and treatment costs, creating a legal corridor for medical examination and treatment activities on demand; coordinating with Vietnam Social Security to resolve difficulties in health insurance (HI) payment for medical examination and treatment services and strengthening the role and responsibility of ministries, branches and medical examination and treatment facilities in managing and effectively using the Health Insurance Fund.
* What are the main and specific solutions that have achieved these results, Minister?
- In recent times, the Ministry of Health has focused on directing, operating, and implementing drastic and synchronous solutions to guide and support the removal of difficulties and obstacles in disease prevention, policies, and solving the shortage of drugs and medical equipment; promptly exchanging and responding to recommendations and proposals from localities, medical facilities nationwide, people and businesses; promoting decentralization and delegation of power in state management of health. Along with that, many localities and medical facilities have also made great efforts to overcome difficulties and proactively resolve difficulties in implementing assigned tasks.
The Ministry of Health has focused on building, amending and perfecting institutions, as advised by the Government to submit to the National Assembly the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment No. 15/2023/QH15 and a number of resolutions of the National Assembly and the Government related to health work arising from practical shortcomings. At the same time, the Ministry of Health has focused on reviewing, amending, supplementing and developing legal documents to remove obstacles in the sector such as regulations related to health insurance, pharmaceuticals, and medical equipment. Thanks to that, the health sector has basically solved the shortage of drugs, supplies, and medical equipment, ensured vaccines in the Expanded Immunization Program, as well as removed many difficulties and obstacles in the payment mechanism for health insurance examination and treatment costs.
* Dear Minister, we have had many mechanisms and policies to solve the problem, but in reality, the health sector is still facing many difficulties and challenges?
- In addition to the achievements, the health sector still has many shortcomings and limitations that need to be overcome and resolved due to both subjective and objective reasons. In particular, the people's demand for health care is increasing and diverse, but the disease model has many changes, the rapid aging of the population and climate change have a significant impact on people's health. In addition, although the legal document system has been actively developed, it is still incomplete and needs to be further improved. The quality of management, operation and patient service at some health facilities has not really met the requirements. The pharmaceutical industry and domestic medical equipment manufacturing industry are still limited. Moreover, preferential policies for cadres, employees and workers in the health sector still have many shortcomings.
* Can the Minister share more clearly the development orientations of the health sector in the coming time?
- The health sector will continue to focus on improving the capacity of the preventive health system to respond to emergencies and public health incidents, ensuring health security and food safety; strengthening and strongly innovating grassroots health care in the new situation towards achieving universal health coverage; improving the quality of medical examination and treatment to serve people, creating patient satisfaction and drastically implementing digital transformation in the health sector; promoting research and application of science and technology, research and production of vaccines, medicines and medical equipment; improving the capacity of research, production, testing and inspection of medicines, vaccines, biological products and medical equipment...
The tasks set for the health sector in 2024 and the coming years are numerous. We always identify that the entire sector needs to enhance its sense of responsibility and determination to carry out its assigned tasks. All health workers will continue to uphold the spirit of solidarity, medical ethics and determination in carrying out the task of caring for and protecting people's health.
To strengthen primary health care and preventive medicine and increase attention to this field, the Ministry of Health has developed and submitted to the Secretariat a directive on continuing to strengthen, improve and enhance the quality of primary health care activities in the new situation; the National Assembly also issued Resolution No. 99/2023/QH15 on "Thematic supervision of the mobilization, management and use of resources for the prevention and control of the Covid-19 epidemic; the implementation of policies and laws on primary health care and preventive medicine". These are two very important documents, opening up new development directions for primary health care and preventive medicine.
Minister DAO HONG LAN
MINH KHANG
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