Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính (right) and Minister of Health Đào Hồng Lan attend the national conference on healthcare on Friday. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính urged the medical sector to make public healthcare a top priority and build an equal, quality, effective and globally integrated sector.

PM Chính was speaking at a national conference on healthcare on Friday.

He praised the healthcare sector for its contributions to the fight against COVID-19 over the past three years and other achievements, which helped Việt Nam gain a higher ranking on the global healthcare map.

He pointed out several challenges facing the sector, including hospital autonomy and preferential mechanisms for medical workers.

He noted some issues which are still common, including people’s dissatisfaction with public health facilities.

Minister of Health Đào Hồng Lan said the medical sector had faced a number of challenges.

The healthcare system was facing pressure from disease structure changes, population size increases and COVID-19 impacts, she said.

She highlighted challenges such as medical workers quitting jobs at public healthcare facilities, and shortages of medicines and medical supplies.

The capacity of the healthcare system, especially grassroots and preventive medicine, is limited, according to the minister. The quality of administration and patient service at some medical facilities has not met the requirements. The domestic pharmaceutical industry and medical equipment manufacturing industry has a number of limitations.

One of the biggest targets of the Ministry of Health in 2023 is to develop an equal, quality, effective and sustainable healthcare system.

The medical sector also aims to effectively control the COVID-19 pandemic and other emerging epidemics as well as strengthen the treatment capacity of healthcare facilities at all levels and promote preventive medicine.

In 2022, the health ministry has accomplished all three quotas assigned by the Government and the National Assembly.

The proportion of doctors per 10,000 residents in 2022 was 11.5, exceeding the assigned quota of 9.4.

There were 31 beds per 10,000 residents while 92.03 per cent of the population was covered by healthcare insurance.

In 2023, universal healthcare insurance coverage aims to reach 93.2 per cent.

The proportion of doctors and beds per 10,000 residents in 2023 is set to be 12 and 32, respectively.

Highlighting the utmost goals of the healthcare sector which are to improve the physical and psychological health of Vietnamese people, PM Chính asked the health ministry to focus on training qualified medical staff and accelerate the national digital transformation project towards 2030.

The health ministry must work with relevant authorities to study and propose preferential policies and mechanisms to attract qualified medical workers.

On the occasion of Vietnamese Physicians' Day (February 27), Chính delivered his best wishes to all medical staff nationwide.

He proposed local and international organisations, associations, agencies and businesses continue to support the healthcare sector, contributing to the sector’s rapid and sustainable development. — VNS