Ho Chi Minh City advances palliative care integration and digital health reforms

The Ho Chi Minh City Health Department announced plans to integrate palliative care into the city’s primary health stations, clinics and family‑doctor services. Officials highlighted the growing need for such care as Vietnam’s population ages and chronic disease rates rise, noting that an estimated 649,000 people required palliative services in 2015 and demand could increase by 87 % by 2060. The integration aims to improve pain management, reduce unnecessary hospital admissions and lower costs, though challenges include limited insurance coverage and the workload of frontline staff.

On 16 July, the city also hosted a conference on digital health and smart hospitals, bringing together Vietnamese health leaders and international experts from the United Kingdom. Sessions covered large‑scale e‑health deployment, electronic medical records, AI‑driven data analytics and criteria for “smart” health agencies. Organisers said the event sought to share lessons and accelerate Vietnam’s transition to a connected, patient‑centred health system.