Minister of Health Đào Hồng Lan speaks at a conference of hospital directors in the northern provinces in Hà Nội on September 24. — VNS Photo Thanh Hải

HÀ NỘI — Minister of Health Đào Hồng Lan asked hospitals to renew management activities, minimise administrative procedures and promote the application of technology to create favourable conditions for patient’s access to examination and treatment services.

The minister was speaking at a conference of hospital directors in the northern provinces, which was organised by the Bạch Mai General Hospital in Hà Nội on September 24.

Đào Hồng Lan said that the health sector continues to have to deal with difficulties and challenges in the post-COVID-19 period, while there is a double burden of disease with the risk of outbreaks of dangerous epidemics, emerging and increasing rates of non-communicable diseases along with having to deal with the population ageing, natural disasters and the increasingly high and diverse health care needs of the people.

“The challenges posed in the new situation when the 4.0 Technology Revolution, the digital era is taking place very strongly in all industries and fields, requires the health sector to have adaptive solutions to complete the task of improving and taking care of people's health,” she said.

Minister Lan said that in many hospitals, the number of people coming for medical examination and treatment has increased significantly, requiring hospital directors to manage human resources, supplies and medicines to ensure sufficient medical delivery to satisfy patients.

Lan requested hospital leaders to continue to resolve challenges, obstacles and inadequacies related to implementing the autonomy mechanism, procurement, health insurance payment, establishing prices for medical examination and treatment services and overcrowding in central hospitals.

Lan also suggested hospitals promote the implementation of professional support and technical transfer to lower levels to gradually improve the capacity and quality of medical examination and treatment work of lower-level units, reducing the overload on higher levels.

The minister said that the Ministry of Health will continue to strengthen the legal framework for hospital management, such as developing guidelines on prices for medical examination and treatment services, implementing the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment and updating some content on Hospital Regulations and review legal documents related to the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment, Decree No. 96/2023/ND-CP. 

Director of Bạch Mai Hospital and chairman of the Northern Hospital Directors Club Đào Xuân Cơ speaks at the event. — VNS Photo Thanh Hải

Director of Bạch Mai Hospital and chairman of the Northern Hospital Directors Club Đào Xuân Cơ said that hospitals recently have gradually improved service quality, upgraded infrastructure, and applied information technology in handling administrative procedures to improve the quality of diagnosis, treatment and patient care.

“The conference is a forum for hospital managers to have the opportunity to discuss, learn and share experiences in hospital management works, including public asset management, bidding work at medical facilities, updating of health insurance policies and resolving difficulties, methods of establishing medical examination and treatment prices, electronic medical records and digital transformation in hospitals,” said Cơ.

The conference is also an opportunity for the Ministry of Health, affiliated units, ministries and branches to listen to the opinions of hospitals in building and implementing policies on management, health insurance and developing medical examination and treatment prices, implementing bidding and electronic medical records effectively and following the law, according to Cơ.

Efforts in cooperation, improved expertise and continuity in medical examination and treatment activities between central and local hospitals have helped improve the quality of medical examination and treatment, reduce waiting time and reduce inconvenience for patients.

With the theme of 'Hospital Management in the New Era', the forum aims to strengthen cooperation and technical and professional support between hospitals in the region and across the whole country. With the patient-centred principle, the meeting aims to bring satisfaction, safety and the best quality of medical services to patients, meeting the people's medical examination and treatment needs. — VNS