Quang Ninh Health overcomes difficulties, takes good care of people's health

After 70 years (1955-2025) of construction and development, the Quang Ninh health sector has constantly strived to overcome difficulties, gradually affirming its important role in the cause of caring for and protecting people's health. From the early difficult days with rudimentary facilities and limited medical staff, Quang Ninh has now become a locality with a modern health system, constantly innovating, aiming to become a specialized medical examination and treatment center in the Northeast region of the country.

Doctors and nurses from the Provincial General Hospital take care of patients and guide people on health care at evacuation sites. Photo: Archive

Perseverance in adversity

After the Dien Bien Phu Victory, the North was completely liberated, Quang Ninh was then divided into two administrative units: Hong Quang Zone and Hai Ninh Province. The local healthcare system at this time was extremely primitive, with poor facilities and a very small number of doctors and nurses. In that context, medical staff did not hesitate to endure hardships, stayed close to the grassroots, and wholeheartedly cared for the people's health with the motto "Doctors are like kind mothers".

On October 30, 1963, the 2nd National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, 7th session, approved the merger of Hai Ninh province and Hong Quang area into one administrative unit named Quang Ninh province. Immediately after its establishment, the Party Committee and people of all ethnic groups in Quang Ninh province immediately embarked on the task of building and developing the economy, stabilizing people's lives, maintaining security and order, protecting national border sovereignty and protecting the Fatherland. This was also the time when the country was both at war and at peace. The Quang Ninh health sector, under the direct guidance of the Ministry of Health, shifted its health organization and activities to wartime; quickly built a district and commune health organization capable of providing on-site emergency care.

Especially in the period of 1965-1975, when the war escalated, Quang Ninh became a target of fierce bombing by the US Air Force. Hospitals and medical stations were constantly threatened by bombs and bullets, many facilities had to move into the basements and forests to maintain operations. In the fierce circumstances, the Quang Ninh health sector remained steadfast, both treating wounded soldiers and ensuring health care for the people. Doctors and nurses were not afraid of danger, ready to go to the front lines to rescue those injured by bombs and bullets.

Inauguration ceremony of Vietnam - Sweden Uong Bi Hospital. Photo: Archive

After 1975, the country was unified, the Quang Ninh Health sector began to restore and develop the health system. Hospitals were repaired and re-equipped, the grassroots health network continued to expand; the district hospital network was developed, specialized hospitals were established such as the Mental Hospital, K67 (tuberculosis-lung), and Oriental Medicine. During the period of protecting the northern border (1979), the provincial Health sector made an important contribution to the treatment of wounded soldiers, ensuring a solid rear for the frontline of protecting the Fatherland.

Entering the renovation period since 1986, the Quang Ninh health sector faced many challenges when the budget was tight and many hospitals were degraded. However, with the investment of the State and the assistance of international organizations such as SIDA (Sweden), UNICEF, ADB, the Red Cross, the International Red Crescent and many donor countries such as China, France, Germany, the Soviet Union, etc., the health system of the province gradually improved. With the special assistance of Sweden, the Vietnam - Sweden Uong Bi Hospital was built and put into operation, marking a major turning point in improving the quality of medical examination and treatment in the Northeast region.

Breakthrough development

Smart operating room at Bai Chay Hospital.

Since 2000, the Quang Ninh health sector has developed strongly. The health system has been expanded with 32 public health units at the provincial and district levels; 117 commune health stations; 926 private facilities. With the view that protecting, caring for and improving health is a key task of the entire political system and society, the province has devoted many resources to investing in upgrading infrastructure, facilities and medical equipment. In the period of 2020-2025 alone, the province has allocated over 6,000 billion VND in investment funds for the health system. In 2023, a series of large projects such as the Geriatric - Rehabilitation Hospital, Lung Hospital, and Provincial Center for Disease Control will be put into use, with a total investment of 1,208 billion VND.

In addition, the province always pays attention to issuing resolutions on policies to attract and train to improve the quality of medical human resources. Up to now, the whole sector has 8,459 medical staff; of which 2,036 are doctors (13 PhDs), 3,314 are nurses, the rest are other medical staff.

The health indicators by the end of 2024 are all achieved and exceeded, the whole province has 57.7 hospital beds, 17 doctors, 7 university pharmacists and 25 nurses/10,000 people; the rate of population participating in health insurance is 95.56%. The quality of the population is improved in many aspects, the average life expectancy in 2024 of the province's people is 74.3; the expanded vaccination rate of all types of vaccines is over 95%; the rate of malnutrition in children under 5 years old with low weight is reduced to less than 10%.

Medical staff of CDC Quang Ninh sprayed chemicals over a large area to kill mosquitoes to prevent dengue fever in Bai Chay ward (Ha Long city).

Quang Ninh is one of the localities with a fast rate of application and innovation of medical techniques. The provincial health sector has mastered many new techniques, specialized techniques of the upper level; effectively applied IT, digital transformation; focused on training to improve the qualifications of doctors and medical staff; the health network continues to be upgraded and improved. Thanks to that, the referral rate has decreased sharply, to only 3.57%, the lowest among the provinces and cities in the Red River Delta; the satisfaction rate of people with health services in the province reached 92.3%, far exceeding the target of the Ministry of Health (from 80% or more).

With impressive achievements, the Quang Ninh Health sector is steadily moving forward, aiming to become the leading specialized medical examination and treatment center in the Northeast region, contributing to improving the quality of life for people, and actively contributing to the overall development of the country.

Nguyen Hoa

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