Welcoming the WHO delegation, VSS Deputy Director General Pham Luong Son delivered thanks and acknowledgement to WHO for supporting the VSS, saying he highly appreciated WHO’s collaboration with Viet Nam in COVID-19 prevention and containment.

At the meeting, Kidong Park congratulated VSS on its great achievements in social security and health insurance after 25 years of establishment and development.

He spoke highly of Viet Nam's healthcare system in preventing and fighting the pandemic.

Kidong Park said that many factors contributed to that success, including the fact that Viet Nam has paid much attention to and set up a universal healthcare system and a health insurance assessment and payment information system which has been applied promptly and effectively.

The health insurance coverage has reached 90 per cent of the population, which is an important factor to help managers make appropriate decisions in direction and administration, he said.

In the future, VSS will propose WHO assist the study and assessment of the health insurance law enforcement since 2015. The work includes collecting and analysing data, doing surveys at localities, sharing international experience and implementing health insurance policy. It aims to propose amendments to the Law on Health Insurance and solutions to effectively enforce the law.

The VSS expected that the WHO would provide technical assistance in changing payment methods for medical examination and treatment, including payment for diagnostic-related groups (DRGs); supporting technical experts and sharing international experience in DRGs implementation and medicine price negotiations; improving capacity to manage costs, properly use drugs and medical supplies; as well as negotiating prices for medicines and medical supplies.

Kidong Park pledged to continue to accompany the VSS to conduct field surveys, assess and implement the Law on Health Insurance as well as support the agency in completing database system, apply IT and change payment methods.

WHO will develop relevant training programmes and send experts to support the VSS’ capacity building. In the context that a lot of countries have not been able to contain the pandemic, the training might be conducted through online seminars.

At the meeting, the VSS and WHO started their co-operation in pharmacy by attaching an Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) code to antibacterial drugs covered by the health insurance fund./.