Speaking at a National Assembly session on socio-economic affairs this morning, Minister Lan said that central-level hospitals have undertaken various initiatives to support grassroots facilities. The aim is to enhance healthcare services directly at the local level.

Responding to lawmakers’ concerns over hospital overcrowding, she noted that three facilities under K Hospital are now in use, including a modern, clean branch in Quan Su. More equipment will be added by the end of the year to meet increasing demand for medical services.

As for delayed projects at Bach Mai and Viet Duc hospitals in Hanoi, the Ministry of Health is pushing for urgent implementation, aiming to resolve remaining issues by year-end.

Regarding the development of local healthcare services under the new two-tier administrative system, the Ministry is finalizing policies and legal frameworks on functions, services, and financial mechanisms to guide implementation.

A national health program is being drafted and will be presented to the National Assembly in its 10th session. It proposes multiple solutions to enhance both the quality of human resources and service delivery at grassroots healthcare levels. A resolution with breakthrough mechanisms and policies is also being submitted to improve primary healthcare.

Ongoing challenges

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Health Minister Dao Hong Lan speaks at the National Assembly. Photo: National Assembly

Minister Lan emphasized that protecting medical staff through legal safeguards remains a pressing issue.

While drafting the revised Law on Medical Examination and Treatment, the Ministry proposed that healthcare workers be protected similarly to civil servants performing official duties.

Citing incidents in Nam Dinh, Phu Tho, and Nghe An, Lan urged local authorities to actively help protect healthcare staff in their areas.

Addressing the issue of counterfeit drugs and fake food products, she acknowledged it as a widespread global concern. U.S. statistics suggest counterfeit drugs and food cause annual losses of around 600 billion USD.

Vietnam has taken strong action to combat such issues. The Penal Code includes the death penalty for producing counterfeit drugs. However, Lan stressed the need to improve the legal system and re-evaluate personnel management.

“Since drugs and food directly impact people’s health, enforcement must be uncompromising,” she asserted.

Lan reaffirmed that all drugs entering hospitals are traceable via bidding processes. Thus, while counterfeit drugs exist on the market, they are not present within hospitals. The Ministry of Health is working closely with the National Steering Committee 389 and other ministries to fight fake drugs and food.

She cited three recent major cases - an incident in Thanh Hoa, the Kera candy brand sold by “Hang du muc,” and counterfeit cosmetics in Dong Nai - all detected and investigated jointly by the Ministry and the Ministry of Public Security.

Strengthening grassroots healthcare as district-level facilities are phased out

In earlier discussions, lawmakers raised concerns about widespread counterfeit goods, including fake medicines and supplements.

Representative Mai Van Hai (Thanh Hoa) said fake products have infiltrated all aspects of life using increasingly sophisticated methods - from production to distribution - causing public outrage. He criticized shortcomings in post-market inspections and individual accountability, noting that current penalties lack deterrent strength.

Representative Do Thi Lan (Quang Ninh) cited hospital overcrowding at K, Bach Mai, and Viet Duc, largely due to shortages of equipment, supplies, and staff. She shared her observations from visiting K Hospital, where many cancer patients, especially from rural areas, wait long periods for treatment due to insufficient radiotherapy machines, losing critical chances to prolong life.

Representative Nguyen Quang Huan (Binh Duong) also blamed upper-tier hospital overload on poor infrastructure and equipment, partly driven by low service pricing.

However, Representative Nguyen Lan Hieu, director of Hanoi Medical University Hospital, disagreed. He argued that upper-tier hospitals are overloaded not because of unused equipment, which is rare, but because people have lost faith in district- and provincial-level hospitals.

Hieu emphasized the need to improve the quality of grassroots healthcare services - especially now that district-level hospitals are being phased out.

Tran Thuong - The Vinh