Associate professor Nguyen Thi Kim Tien, Minister of Health and head of the Central Commission on Healthcare for Senior Officials, made a statement at the 18th Hospital Management Asia 2019 Conference. The two-day conference ended on Thursday in Ha Nọi.

It is an annual event for hospital directors, executive directors, doctors and health leaders to enhance their skills on managing healthcare and practice via exchanges and studying the best methods from different countries in the world.

Speaking at the event, Minister Tien said that the Ministry of Health had conducted the health sector renewal programme with the target of ensuring healthcare for the whole population, in which healthcare service quality was extremely important. 

With the motto “patient-centred care”, supplying safe and quality services that met patients’ satisfaction, the health sector built a set of criteria for hospital quality. The set was a tool to urge hospitals to improve their quality standards.

The health sector conducted the satellite hospital programme in order to transfer technology for lower-level hospitals. After five years of implementation, 23 nuclear hospitals and 138 satellite hospitals were formed. A total of 10 specialities were invested and prioritized for development, including those on oncology, surgical trauma, cardiology, obstetrics and paediatrics, endocrinology, neurology, clinical hematology, emergency resuscitation and poison control.

The sector gradually reduced overcrowding at upper-level hospitals, especially in Ha Noi and HCM City, and contributed to improving lower-level hospitals’ capacity of supplying services. All of those helped consolidate residents’ belief in the grassroots-level healthcare system.

The health sector founded a hotline to receive patients’ comments about service quality. It implemented programmes on improving medical workers’ behavioural communication skills, and applied a set of questions to check patients’ satisfaction in hospitals.

The sector also builds clean and green hospitals with new a uniform for medical workers.

The patients’ satisfaction index at hospitals increased sharply, reaching 83 per cent, based on an independent assessment of the United Nations, conducted by the Vietnam Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI).

At present, Viet Nam’s health insurance coverage reached 89 per cent. Many people receive financial support from the State to sign up for health insurance cards including poor and near-poor people.

Health insurance provisions were high compared with contributions, covering expenses for medicines and treatment for serious diseases such as cancer and organ transplants.

The health sector organised on-demand medical examinations and treatment at hospitals to call for social resources and diversify models of supplying services. 

Prices for medical services were set up and supervised by the Government and were publicised at all hospitals.

During the conference, representatives exchanged experience about healthcare in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, investment in hospitals and projects such as the latest technology for the sector, expense reduction and safe methods for patients.

The Asian Hospital Management Awards were also held at the conference to recognise and honour hospitals in the Asia-Pacific region that implement best practices./.