Doctors are assigned to Côn Đảo in rotation. Photo courtesy of HCM City’s Department of Health

HCM CITY — HCM City’s Department of Health has announced ten outstanding achievements of the city’s health sector in 2025, marking new milestones in building a modern and sustainable healthcare system.

After its merger with Bình Dương and Bà Rịa - Vũng Tàu provinces, the city has expanded into a megacity with more than 14 million people and became the country’s largest healthcare system, according to the department.

The expansion of administrative boundaries, population size, and healthcare demand requires a fundamental reform of the organisational, management, and service delivery models for healthcare in line with the city’s development.

In 2025, the department has implemented many synchronised solutions, with a focus on developing the facilities of tertiary hospitals in remote areas, expanding the network of satellite emergency stations, and promoting technology transfer between specialised hospitals and grassroot healthcare facilities.

These solutions contribute to reducing the overload at tertiary hospitals and improving the operational efficiency of the entire system.

The city reorganised 168 health stations under the Department of Health into 168 commune, ward, and special zone health stations under the People’s Committees at the commune level, officially operational from January 1 next year.

This reorganisation of the grassroots healthcare system aims to enhance the proactive role of local authorities.

The healthcare sector takes responsibility for social security and welfare, and strengthens healthcare for vulnerable groups after the social security, child protection, and social welfare systems were integrated into the healthcare system.

The department implements a comprehensive healthcare programme at social welfare centres with the support of 16 hospitals to ensure continuous treatment and promote healthcare equity.

In the fight against infectious diseases, the city effectively controlled the measles outbreak following a large-scale vaccination campaign with over 280,000 doses administered, creating a strong community immunity shield.

The city’s healthcare sector continues to affirm its position as a high-tech centre with many specialised techniques such as fetal cardiac intervention, reattachment of severed hands using complex microsurgery, and out-of-hospital ECPR (Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation) with mobile ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation).

The programme of rotating specialist doctors to Côn Đảo Island starting in September 2025 helped locals access specialised medical services and reduce transfers to hospitals in the mainland for treatment.

On November 10, the second facility of Từ Dũ Hospital in HCM City’s Cần Giờ commune began operations, bringing specialised healthcare services closer to residents in remote areas.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony to inaugurate the second facility of Từ Dũ Hospital in HCM City’s Cần Giờ commune on November 10. Photo courtesy of HCM City’s Department of Health

Alongside infrastructure investment, the city’s health sector is accelerating comprehensive digital transformation. A total of 163 out of 164 hospitals in the city have deployed electronic medical records.

In 2025, the HCM City People’s Council approved 25 resolutions related to the health and social security sectors, creating a synchronised legal framework for the health system in the context of the city’s expanding administrative boundaries and operation as a megacity.

The city’s health sector will continue its efforts to improve the quality of services, and protect and improve public health, with a goal to build a modern, humane, and sustainable healthcare system. —VNS