Vietnam Social Security is assigned to coordinate with the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the Ministry of Health and localities to speed up information dissemination and mobilise labourers to participate in health insurance; review and promote the reform of administrative procedures; amend and supplement or submit to higher authorities to amend and supplement related regulations to expand the coverage rate of health insurance and ensure the legitimate interests of labourers who suffered work accidents or occupational diseases and disadvantaged people participating in health insurance.

 Expanding health insurance coverage helps better protect health of contributors to the revolution and those in need of social assistance. Illustrative Photo

The general goals of the programme are to strengthen, renew and complete the structure of the apparatus and operation mechanism of healthcare establishments of the labour and social sector in line with socio-economic conditions of the country; improve human resources quality and the quality of services of healthcare facilities of the labour and social sector in order to ensure beneficiaries get quick and timely access to appropriate healthcare services; integrate activities aimed at health enhancement, prevention, healthcare and orthopaedic rehabilitation in combination with social assistance activities and improvement of the living conditions of beneficiaries, contributing to ensuring social security, generating jobs and boosting sustainable development.

The specific targets of the programme are to have at least 70 per cent of hospitals and orthopaedic rehabilitation centres of the labour and social sector to meet requirements to provide medical checkup and treatment covered by health insurance, conduct 100 per cent of the lists of orthopaedic and functional rehabilitation techniques and carry out at least 70 per cent of the list of medical techniques and services of specialised healthcare establishments at the provincial level by 2025; and to have 100 per cent of hospitals and orthopaedic rehabilitation centres of the labour and social sector to meet requirements to provide medical checkup and treatment covered by health insurance, conduct 100 per cent of the lists of orthopaedic and functional rehabilitation techniques and carry out 100 per cent of the list of medical techniques and services of specialised healthcare establishments at the provincial level by 2030.

The programme states that at least 70 per cent by 2025 and 100 per cent by 2030 of social centres that care for contributors to the revolution, social assistance centres and rehabilitation centres for drug users are qualified to provide fundamental healthcare services and functional rehabilitation.

The programme sets out tasks and solutions, including strengthening and perfecting healthcare establishments of the labour and social sector; renewing and completing their functions and missions and improving their operational efficiency; improving their human resources quality; renewing their services supply mechanism; renewing financial mechanisms and resources supporting these healthcare establishments; supporting the upgrade of facilities at these healthcare establishments; and increasing information dissemination to raise awareness among the programme’s beneficiaries about healthcare.

In which, focus should be placed on providing fundamental healthcare for those managed by these establishments and employees suffering from occupational accidents and diseases; managing health, focusing on monitoring and giving advice on health issues, functional rehabilitation, prevention and control of infectious and non-communicable diseases and management of chronic diseases managed by these establishments and employees suffering from occupational accidents and occupational diseases; and providing medical examination and treatment according to their functions and tasks, and connecting and transferring patients to higher-level medical facilities if needed.

Other tasks include having measures and a roadmap to improve health checkup and treatment covered by health insurance for these establishments’ staff; and mobilising resources to support health checkup and treatment for contributors to the revolution, the elderly, people with disabilities, people with mental disorders, children, the poor, and employees suffering occupational accidents or diseases and low-income earners.

It is also necessary to develop a package of orthopaedic and functional rehabilitation for war invalids and wounded soldiers and those suffering occupational accidents or diseases and people with disabilities in line with regulations to meet healthcare demands of the programme’s targeted people./.