HCM CITY — Developing ward-level health centres is one of leading priorities of the HCM City Department of Health in order to help local residents get better primary healthcare services.

The department encourages district-level general hospitals to open a satellite general health clinic at ward-level health centres, which are mostly in charge of disease prevention and management of national health programmes.

Following the encouragement, Tân Phú District General Hospital last Friday opened a satellite general health clinic at the health centre in Tây Thạnh Ward.

The hospital’s doctors work at the clinic and train the doctors at the health centre to improve their qualifications.

These doctors also help create trust from local residents to go to the clinic for health examinations and treatment, reducing their visits to Tân Phú District General Hospital, which is overcrowded.

More than 3,000 patients go to the hospital for health examinations and treatment every day.

The satellite general health clinic at the Tây Thạnh Ward health centre is the third such clinic, following the first two in Bình Chiểu and Hiệp Bình Chánh wards. Dr. Tăng Chí Thượng, deputy head of the city Department of Health, said that such clinics would be expanded to other districts in the city.

Investment from private sector

According to Dr. Nguyễn Tấn Bỉnh, the department’s head, said that the city needs investment from the private sector in developing and upgrading facilities at ward-level health centres because of the state’s limited budget.

The health centre at District 3’s ward 11 is the first to receive private investment.

Việt Anh Medical Joint Stock Company has upgraded the health centre to become a general health clinic with wards including obstetrics, traditional medicine and others.

The clinic is also quipped with machines for testing, ultrasound and X-ray diagnosis.

Moreover, thanks to the investment, the centre has also added doctors and other health staff.

Last Friday, it was opened to serve local residents.

Phạm Mạnh Hùng, head of the health centre at District 3’s Ward 11, said that the clinic at the centre was expected to attract more patients after being upgraded.

Phan Quốc Việt of the Việt Anh Medical Joint Stock Company said that more than 80 per cent of patients went to major city hospitals to treat common diseases which health centres at wards could treat.

A modern general health clinic at a centre with good healthcare services would help attract local patients with common diseases, Việt said, adding that this would help reduce overcrowding at the city or central-level.

Bỉnh said that the model of private sector investment in ward-level health centre would be expanded throughout Districts 3, 1, 2, Phú Nhuận, and Nhà Bè.

Deputy Minister of Health Nguyễn Thanh Long said that HCM City was the first locality to attract investment from the private sector in ward-level health centres.

This investment should be encouraged because many health centres in wards throughout the country were in need of upgrading, Long said.

Developed ward-level health centres would help provide better primary healthcare service to local residents, he added.

He told the city Department of Health’s managers to regularly monitor and inspect the operation of the general health clinics to ensure rights of patients in examinations and treatment. —VNS