Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc

According to Phuc, not only in 2020 but from the very beginning of the term, we have been faced with unprecedented challenges such as the worst drought in nearly 100 years in the Mekong Delta, the Formosa environmental disaster, landslides, flash floods, tube floods in the Northwest, storms and floods in the Central region. However, with the determination of the entire political system, the consensus of the people and businesses, we have together created more than $1,200 billion of GDP in nearly 5 years, on a stable macroeconomic foundation.

PM said, over the past four years, Vietnam has created more than 8 million new jobs for people of working age and for those who lost their jobs before. The labor productivity of the economy has actually improved in recent years with a growth rate of 5.8% a year, much higher than the 4.3% rate in the previous period. In general, in the past term, Vietnam's per capita income has increased by nearly 145%.

The proportion of poor households according to the multidimensional poverty line has sharply decreased from 9.8% in 2015 to less than 3% in 2020. Phuc affirmed that we will continue to work constantly to reduce sustainable poverty for 3% of the remaining households; especially people in rural, mountainous, ethnic minority areas and poor core areas - where there are people of working age who earn only "a few hundred thousand dong per month". The Government will more drastically direct all levels of branches to prioritize resources, allocate lands and create appropriate mechanisms to develop social housing for low-income people and workers and cultural institutions in industrial zones as stated by the deputies to the NA.

Phuc also mentioned, a better life for Vietnamese families requires a healthcare system of high quality, which is easy-to-access and affordable. The COVID-19 anti-epidemic performance has shown the superiority of our country's public health system, in which we have controlled the spread and minimized the harmful effects of the COVID-19.

“Up to now, after considerable efforts, we have covered the universal health insurance network of nearly 91% compared to 75% more than 4 years ago; social insurance has also been expanded to account for 30% of the workforce, 1.3 times higher compared to 2015.” - PM emphasized.

However, according to Phuc, the health sector definitely still has many things to do as there remains limitations and shortcomings. The government will strive to strengthen the responsiveness of the preventive medicine system to bring health care closer to the people in all parts of the country at a lower cost, and promote the remote health system.

“As many deputies to the NA have commented, we will step by step expand the coverage of universal health insurance, and at the same time expand the coverage of health insurance payments, especially for children, the elderly and the disadvantaged. The elderly must get better medical care; children, especially who are from 6 to 11 years old, followed by who are under 16 years old according to the Law on Children, will need to be fully covered with health insurance by the state.” - said PM.

Affirmatively, the Government is determined to improve hospital overcrowding and the quality of medical services associated with the mechanism of salary and hospital fees, PM suggested that the health sector be responsible for further ensuring transparency on the medical costs in hospitals and better controlling the cost of pharmaceuticals, regimens and medicines as well as medical supplies and equipments. The Government will make efforts so that no one is left behind due to the high cost of vaccines that exceed the people's affordability, targeting those with serious diseases such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, etc., will receive appropriate medical care or be covered by the health insurance, initially the pediatric cancer patients. "Each child is a valuable resource of the nation, so we must have a great responsibility for the future generation of the country.".