Health Minister pledges comprehensive reforms

The Health Minister has encouraged health workers in disadvantaged rural and mountainous areas to respond to Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan’s call for comprehensive reforms.

At a meeting in Hanoi on February 21, Minister Nguyen Quoc Trieu said that in celebration of Vietnam Physicians’ Day (February 27), the medical sector will upgrade the national network for monitoring food quality, hygiene and safety.

The ministry will also increase investment in scientific research and technological application while developing the domestic pharmaceutical industry, especially essential drug production, in order to meet public demand for medical treatment.

Other targets include expansion of international cooperation, stronger foreign aid attraction and better use of foreign aid for the medical sector, and acceleration of the relevant policy-making process.

Also at the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Nhan called on the Health Ministry to reform its management mechanism in order to ensure good supply of quality medicines and increase equality in medical checks and treatment among the population, especially the poor, and children and families subject to social welfare policy.

“The Ministry should take the initiative in forecasting epidemics, in an effort to prevent them from breaking out,” Nhan said.

Average Vietnamese lifespan is now 73 years. Beds in public hospitals can accommodate 20.5 in every 10,000 citizens and health insurance covered over 60 percent of the national population, including over 16 percent of the poor having access to free medical insurance cards. – Vietnam+

Tags: Vietnam Health Minister

Posted by VBN on Feb 22 2011. Filed under Health & Drugs. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry