State President tours central provinces

President Truong Tan Sang on March 3 visited the Hue Central Hospital as part of his ongoing tour of the central region. Speaking at a ceremony marking Vietnamese Physicians’ Day, President Sang praised the medical staff for their tireless efforts over the years. He said the Vietnamese Party and State considers people’s health care a strategic priority.

The President also urged the healthcare sector to work harder on consolidating the grassroots medical network and improve communal, district, provincial, and central hospitals using the State budget and social resources. Public and private healthcare systems need development and hospital patient overloads should be eased.

It is essential to finalise policies on health insurance and healthcare for children, the elderly, the poor, and welfare beneficiaries. Vietnam’s medical sector needs to become one of the region’s most advanced, he said.

Sang called on physicians to constantly improve their professional skills and respect their ethical guidelines.

Sang also used his visit to confer the title “Labour Hero of the Renewal Period” to Doctor, People’s Physician and Hue Central Hospital Director Bui Duc Phu.

Earlier, at a March 2 meeting with local authorities from Quang Tri discussing socio-economic development, security, and defence, President Sang said Quang Tri has many promising trade, service, and tourism opportunities thanks to sharing borders with other ASEAN countries.

Sang called on Quang Tri to make greater efforts at easing goods transport difficulties in order to fully tap the potential of the important economic corridor. He urged the province to learn from the experiences of effective agricultural and industrial models.

Provincial Party Committee Secretary Le Huu Phuc reported the province achieved an 8 percent economic growth rate in 2012 with State budget revenue increasing 5.7 percent to VND1,548 billion.

Quang Tri has devoted special attention to providing care to social beneficiaries and building new rural areas. It has constructed two new urban areas on the East-West economic corridor with the intention of luring in more investment.

Earlier, when inspecting the new rural area construction model in Vinh Thanh commune, Sang emphasised the need to mobilise social resources independent of the State budget to maintain local residents’ involvement in the project.

During his stay in Quang Tri, the President dedicated time to offering incense at Martyrs’ Cemeteries, the Quang Tri Old Citadel Monument, and the memorial house of former Party General Secretary Le Duan.