Vietnam Ministry of Health advances primary care and insurance reforms

Vietnam's Ministry of Health is implementing several initiatives to strengthen primary healthcare and expand medical benefits. In Ho Chi Minh City, authorities are working to connect hospitals with 168 local health stations to improve grassroots medical capacity and ensure doctors are rotated to underserved areas.

Nationwide, the Ministry is addressing voter concerns regarding the quality of health insurance services at the commune level. Minister Dao Hong Lan stated that new circulars have been issued to define the functions of local health stations, and the Ministry is working to improve medical equipment, staffing, and insurance coverage to increase the rate of insurance-based examinations at these facilities.

Additionally, the Ministry is reviewing policies to expand the list of covered drugs and adjust insurance benefits for patients with critical illnesses, specifically those with metastatic cancer. In 2023, the health insurance fund spent over 7,500 billion VND on cancer treatments. The Ministry aims to include new-generation cancer drugs and biological medicines in the reimbursement list to reduce the financial burden on patients.

In academic administration, Thai Binh University of Medicine and Pharmacy has reappointed three Vice Rectors for five-year terms to oversee specialized and economic management, following recent organizational guidelines from the Ministry of Health.