Ho Chi Minh City prepares directors for new basic-level hospitals

Ho Chi Minh City’s health department plans to convert its district health centres into basic‑level hospitals by 2026, shifting routine care, initial emergency services and chronic disease management to these facilities and easing pressure on tertiary hospitals.

To ready the new institutions, a two‑day workshop was held on 10‑11 July for the directors who will lead the future basic hospitals. Senior executives from large city hospitals shared practical experience on staff development, quality improvement, financial balance, emergency organization and both inpatient and outpatient service planning. The training outlined ten priority actions for the first year and concluded with a discussion on development goals for the first three years.

The reform reduces the number of non‑bed district centres from 25 to 13 with beds, integrates them into a multi‑tiered health system and includes ongoing support, technical transfer, quality management and digital transformation during the early operating period.