Delegates press button, officially launching the "Smart Healthcare Programme for the Bắc Ninh Community".

BẮC NINH  The Central Committee of the Vietnam Young Physicians Association, in collaboration with the Bắc Ninh Provincial Department of Health, recently launched the "Smart Healthcare Programme for the Bắc Ninh Community" and the comprehensive medical access programme "For a Healthier Vietnam."

Smart healthcare, also referred to as digital health, is the application of information and communication technology (ICT) to enhance the quality, efficiency, and accessibility of medical services. This includes medical examination and treatment, disease management, and health monitoring. The initiative aims to create a more connected, intelligent, and efficient healthcare system, helping to minimise errors while saving time and costs for both patients and the healthcare provider network.

AstraZeneca Vietnam General Director Atul Tandon addresses the programme launch on behalf of the coordinating partners.

The programme to develop Bắc Ninh into a smart healthcare province focuses on strengthening the capacity of grassroots medical facilities. The objective is to optimise health education, prevention, early detection, diagnosis, and treatment. Furthermore, it aims to effectively manage non-communicable diseases (NCDs) within the community by prioritising advanced solutions and technologies such as digital transformation and artificial intelligence (AI). The programme will also conduct health economic analyses to evaluate the potential benefits and positive impacts on the healthcare sector and the environment.

According to Dr. Hà Anh Đức, President of the Vietnam Young Physicians Association and Vice President of the Vietnam Youth Federation, the Party, State, and the healthcare sector attach much importance to developing healthcare in a direction that is scientific, humanistic, modern, and integrated.

“The goal is to build a strong, inclusive, and equitable universal healthcare system that leaves no one behind,” he said.

Deputy Minister of Health, Prof. Dr. Trần Văn Thuấn, speaks at the launch ceremony.

Addressing the launch ceremony, Deputy Minister of Health, Prof. Dr. Trần Văn Thuấn, said that the future of the healthcare industry should not be measured by high-rise buildings or expensive equipment, but rather by its ability to reach every citizen, faster, closer, and more humanely.

"This is not a luxury, but a fundamental right," he stated. "The only way to realise this is to build a grassroots healthcare system that is sufficiently strong, modern, and empathetic, a place where technology goes hand-in-hand with the community and where people are truly placed at the center of every policy."

The Ministry of Health is currently persistently implementing three major strategic directions: making periodic universal health check-ups a national health objective; ensuring equitable access to healthcare as a consistent, guiding principle; and building provincial-level smart healthcare networks, where each locality proactively creates its own digital health ecosystem. This includes electronic health records, telemedicine and remote consultations, early disease outbreak warnings, and AI-assisted treatment support.

Immediately following the launch ceremony, programme provided medical examinations, screenings, health consultations, and the distribution of free gifts to over 1,200 residents across the three wards of Từ Sơn, Đồng Nguyên, and Phù Khê." VNS