The distinction was handed over by DeputyPrime Minister Vu Duc Dam during an art programme co-hosted by theMinistry of Health and the Vietnam Television featuring the sector’s60-year growth in Hanoi on February 27.
Deputy PMDam requested the whole sector to exert more efforts to continuefulfilling its task of improving public health, as well as building aprogressive health system.
The sector shouldstrengthen its network at lower levels, especially in far-flung areas,expand the coverage of health insurance and mobilise investmentresources from society for its accelerated growth, he suggested.
Over the past six decades, the health system has been improvedcontinuously. Vietnam is one of the nations receiving the UnitedNations’ and international community’s praise for the implementation ofthe Millennium Development Goals involving healthcare, notably thedecreases in malnutrition rate among under-five children and thefatality rates of mothers and newborns.
Thecountry’s current average life expectancy is double that of 1945, anddangerous diseases have largely been put under control. The sector hasalso worked to meet over 50 percent of the medicine demand and is takingthe initial steps towards producing medicine for export.
The technical skills of Vietnamese doctors are on par with those inthe region and around the world, especially in kidney, liver, and stemcell transplants, and heart surgery.
In recent days,a lot of activities have been organised across the country to celebratethe 60th anniversary of Vietnam Doctors’ Day.-VNA