Specifically, figures showed that more than 80 per cent of patients were satisfied with healthcare services in 2018, exceeding the Ministry of Health (MoH)’s target.

Minister of Health Nguyễn Thị Kim Tiến made the statement at an annual conference of the northern hospital directors club 2019.

Tiến said on June 4, 2015, the MoH issued Decision 2151/KH-BYT to conduct the programme “Changing style and attitude of health workers towards patients’ satisfaction”.

Under the programme, the MoH disseminated information through mass media; held dialogues and answered questions from patients and the public through the Minister’s Fanpage and other means of communication.

All medical stations and hospitals set up letter boxes and established regulations on uniforms for medical workers. 

They founded teams for social affairs to offer consultancy and guidance to patients and their families, as well as taking part in charity work.

Hotlines were put in public places such as receptions, health examination rooms and treatment rooms around hospitals. Hospitals assigned staff to be on duty on the hotlines all day round.

The Vietnam Young Physicians’ Association collaborated with different hospitals to implement the project “Supporting patients in hospitals” in many big cities and provinces such as Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hue, Can Tho and Hai Phong.

The health sector kicked off campaigns on medical workers’ good attitude and friendly manner.

These measures helped improve health examination and treatment quality in hospitals, which has since received a good response from patients.

Specifically, in 2016, the MoH assessed patients’ satisfaction in 22 hospitals, of which 11 were national-level, eight were provincial-level and three were district-level. The satisfaction at the hospitals was rated an average of 81.3 per cent.

Last year, the MoH continued to assess 53 hospitals from central to provincial level. The patients’ satisfaction increased to an average of 83.7 per cent.

The results are a good sign showing that Việt Nam’s healthcare policies are better serving the people and well intergrating with international standards.

To continue improving healthcare service quality and enhance patients’ satisfaction, Minister Tiến said the MoH would research and put in place measures to raise the grassroots-level healthcare sector, build more commune medical stations towards international norms to ease overcrowding at upper-level hospitals.

National-level hospitals will develop high-quality techniques and support more research.

Information technology will be applied widely in hospitals, such as putting schedules online, developing e-medical records and e-prescriptions./.