National Assembly Chairman Vương Đình Huệ (standing) gives instructions at the working session. — VNA/VNS Photo Nhan Sáng

HÀ NỘI — Health was the most valuable asset of people and society, said National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vương Đình Huệ, adding that protecting and caring for the people may be hard but is also a very honourable and glorious task.

Chairing a working session with the Ministry of Health (MoH) on Tuesday in Hà Nội, the NA Chairman expressed his wish that the health sector would continue to overcome difficulties and challenges, promote achievements and have greater success in the cause of caring for, protecting and improving people's health.

Ahead of the 69th anniversary of Vietnamese Physicians’ Day on February 27, he said he highly appreciated the results that the MoH and the health sector have achieved.

In particular, the MoH has advised the Government to develop and submit to the NA the amended Law on Medical Examination and Treatment for promulgation.

The Chairman assessed the work as a milestone and a decisive event in the health sector’s development.

The work to remove existing difficulties and obstacles created a favourable legal framework for medical examination and treatment.

He pointed out how the health sector, together with the whole country, played a pivotal role in successfully controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been recognised and appreciated domestically and internationally.

Chairman Huệ said the sector also made many efforts to resolve the consequences left by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the difficulties caused by the current global situation.

Reporting at the working session, Minister of Health Đào Hồng Lan said that last year, the health sector had implemented many key, important and effective tasks.

The highlight was completing all of the three main socio-economic targets assigned by the NA.

The assigned target of number of doctors per 10,000 people (12.5 doctors) was exceeded.

It reached the target of number of hospital beds per 10,000 people (32 hospital beds).

It also met the target of the population rate participating in medical insurance (93.2 per cent).

The MoH has drafted and submitted to the Government and the NA many pivotal documents such as the amended Pharmacy, Health Insurance, Population, Medical Equipment and Disease Prevention laws.

It gradually resolved the shortcomings and inadequacies related to medical equipment, supplies, drugs and borrowing investment capital for public hospitals.

Not only COVID-19 but also other infectious diseases have been well controlled.

The quality and efficiency of medical examination and treatment as well as vaccinations has been improved.

The MoH has deployed many synchronous solutions to develop grassroots healthcare.

Advanced medical techniques are transferred to lower levels, reducing overload for higher-level hospitals.

Remote medical examination and treatment, combining traditional medicine with modern medicine is increasingly raised at all levels.

Plan

This year, the MoH determined that its key task is perfecting the system of legal documents.

It will implement measures to prevent and control epidemics, especially respiratory diseases, dangerous and emerging infectious diseases.

The sector will strengthen monitoring, supervision and early detection of diseases right at the border gates, in the community and at medical facilities to quickly handle outbreaks.

The sector will also promote digital transformation and administrative reform in all processes, minimising trouble for people and businesses.

Other important works are improving patients’ satisfaction, ensuring enough medicine and medical equipment and enhancing the grassroots healthcare system.

It will heighten education to raise people's awareness of disease prevention and control.

Minister Lan hopes that the NA will continue to allocate the annual budget for the health sector, focus on grassroots healthcare, hospitals in poor areas, borders, islands and mental health.

She proposed investing in commune health stations, especially those in extremely difficult areas. — VNS