Hanoi (VNA) - The Ministry of Health kicked off a five-yearproject on developing district- and commune-level healthcare systems in 13provinces nationwide at an online conference held on August 25.
The project will cost in excess of 125 million USD, of which 80 millionUSD is in the form of a loan from the World Bank and 25 million USD is in non-refundableloans.
The 13 beneficiaries are Hau Giang, Bac Lieu, Tra Vinh, and Long An inthe Mekong Delta, Ha Giang, Bac Kan, Son La, Yen Bai, and Hoa Binh in thenorthern region, Quang Binh, Quang Ngai, and Quang Tri in the central region,and Ninh Thuan in the south-central region.
The project aims to increase the quality and efficiency of servicesoffered at district- and commune-level facilities, including initialhealthcare, check-ups, and treatment, with priority given to mothers andchildren, the elderly, ethnic minority people, and those from disadvantagedareas.
It will build 138 new commune-level medical stations and upgrade 325others, while renovating 12 district-level healthcare establishments. Training willalso be held to improve grassroots health workers’ capacity in initialhealthcare, disease prevention and control, and the detection and management ofnon-communicable diseases, among others.
Speaking at the conference, Acting Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Longhighlighted the importance of district- and commune-level health systems,adding that the point of overhauling such systems is to improve their services sothey are the equal of those in higher-level systems.
The ministry will launch a project shortly on remote healthcare check-upsand treatment, which connects 1,000 establishments.
Vietnam currently has close to 11,000 medical stations, more than halfof which are in need of repair./.