Ha Noi (VNA) – The Government will not equitise State-owned hospitals and encourages all economic sectors to invest in construction of new hospitals, Health Minister Nguyen Quoc Trieu said.
Speaking at a question-and-answer session of the National Assembly on November 19, Minister Trieu said that in comparison with other countries, the number of State-owned hospitals in Viet Nam is too small.
He said the hospitals play a key role in treating dangerous diseases.
According to the Minister, in an effort to raise the quality of medical treatment in public hospitals, more investment to upgrade equipment and a policy to attract good physicians is needed.
Regarding voluntary healthcare insurance, a matter that draw much attention from NA deputies, the Minister affirmed the Government continues encouraging people to buy voluntary health insurance and by early next year, inadequate policies will be adjusted to ensure that the poor can access the service.
Minister Trieu said those purchasing voluntary health insurance are mainly poor farmers, therefore the Health Ministry will propose a number of policies to provide support for health insurance.
The Minister also stressed that a focus of the health care sector is needed to upgrade grassroots medical networks and reduce the pressure on provincial and national medical centres and hospitals.
The ministry has taken measures, such as training personnel for remote areas and increasing investment, to raise the capacity of grassroots-level medical establishments.
On the acute diarrhoea epidemic, the Minister said that the epidemic is now under control and it will announce the official end of the epidemic within the next 15 days if there are no more positive test results. He noted that the epidemic was dangerous, but that Viet Nam contained the outbreak and no patients died of the disease.-Enditem
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