A Modern Health Centre

The public health service of Ho Chi Minh City has had a long tradition of unceasingly improving service quality in the interests of the people, especially in disadvantaged regions. Vietnam Business Forum interviewed Dr Pham Viet Thanh, Director of Ho Chi Minh City Health Department, on its success. My Chau reports.

 

In the past years, health services from grassroots level to the city, from public to private establishments, have been expanded and upgraded. In 2010, the number of hospital beds in HCMC increased to 42 beds per 10,000 people, equivalent to other countries in the region. Health check and medical treatment have exceeded the plan, increasing to 28,633,178, or up 9 percent of 2009 and 7 percent of the plan. General and special medical treatments have been upgraded with modern technology, becoming the most modern health centre in Vietnam. HCMC Health Department has achieved significant successes in reducing birth rate, maternal death, malnutrition of children under 5 years old, attained the target of 12 doctors per 10,000 people, and ensured good preventive care against cancer, heart attack, diabetes, bird flu A H5N1, etc. Regarding pharmaceutical service, HCMC has 521 out of 739 companies attaining GDP and 1,535 out of 3,743 drug stores ensuring GPP, leading others in Vietnam in supplying medicines with high quality and reasonable prices.

 

In the first half of 2011, health programmes have been successfully implemented against malaria, tuberculosis, and mental illness. Meanwhile food safety has been ensured without any case of poisoning. Health checks were provided to 12,686,314 people, up 3 percent over the same period last year and 46.6 percent of the plan. Technology transfer continues to upgrade district level health services and to reduce the overload at HCMC hospitals.        

 In the second half of 2011, HCMC health service will continue the objectives of 2011, consolidating those already attained and pursuing the remaining objectives. It will remove constraints and monitor the achievement of those objectives.

 

HCMC pharmaceutical service has made certain progresses, applying such standards as GMP, GLP, GSP and GPP. The city has currently 21 pharmaceutical factories of GMP standard, nearly 700 pharmaceutical companies and 4,200 drug stores meeting the demand of HCMC and even other parts of Vietnam. To overcome constraints in research, processing and promotion, the pharmaceutical service will proceed with activities increasing efficiency and stable development. It will encourage companies to invest more in modern equipment and technology, increase scientific research, and coordinate between businesses and medical institutes. It will also apply bio- and nano-technology to produce specialized medicines so far produced only by foreign companies.

 

In business activities, we will maintain the GP system in distribution network, establish wholesale centres in HCMC and develop chain drug stores, at the same time increasing State management on prices to stabilize prices over the whole distribution network.

 

As human resources are important for health services, how do you develop them?

HCMC has paid great attention to the development of human resources.  Universities of medicine and pharmacy as well as health services have developed diversified training forms. As human resources structure has been reorganized, the quality has also been upgraded. The number of PhD, MA, doctors and pharmacists Grade I and II increases every year, with hundreds of research projects, scientific applications, and technology improvements for disease prevention and treatment.