Top ten medical events of 2017 released

1. The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam issued Resolution No. 20-NQ/TW on enhancing the protection, care and improvement of public health and Resolution No. 21-NQ/TW on population work. 

2. Wages of health workers included in costs of medical services

Wages for health workers were included in the costs of the medical services at public hospitals for the first time, contributing to improving the quality of health examination and treatment and increasing the coverage of health insurance to nearly 86%.

In particular, the pricing scheme creates conditions for hospitals to improve the quality of health services and to better serve insurance card holders while encouraging grassroots hospitals to develop medical techniques to reduce overloading at central hospital. 

The scheme does not affect policy beneficiaries, children under six years old or needy people who receive state subsidy in health insurance. 

3. Organisational apparatus streamlined

In 2017, the health sector rearranged the medical system and streamlined the apparatus by merging medical centres without beds into provincial or municipal disease control centres.

Each province cut down an average five medical centres without beds and all 63 provinces and cities nationwide are expected to reduce 315 medical centres, resulting in the elimination of at least 1,260 managerial positions in addition to the reduction of staffing and saving State funds.

4. Many scientific and technological advancements applied successfully in organ transplants

Doctors at the 103 Military Hospital and the Vietnam Military Medical University worked with Japanese experts to perform the first human lung transplant in Vietnam on a 6-year-old boy on February 21, 2017.

Ten-year-old Nguyen Thanh Dat became the youngest patient in Vietnam to receive a transplanted heart after a 10-hour surgery at the Vietnam-Germany Hospital in Hanoi on March 15.

Cho Ray Hospital set eight Vietnamese records in the transplant area recognised by the Vietnam Book of Records, including “the first hospital to perform a kidney transplant from a brain-dead donor in Vietnam,” “the first hospital to carry out a kidney transplant from a non-heart-beating donor in Vietnam" and "the unit performing the most kidney transplants in Vietnam."

5. Creation of personal health records at commune health stations and implementation of the grassroots health care promotion project

For the first time, individual health records associated with universal health insurance were established in 2017. Up to 78% of more than 11,400 commune-level health stations had doctors, making it easier for the management of personal health records. The establishment of personal health records and the coverage of health insurance for all people will be one of the steps to carry out comprehensive health care at the grassroots level.

6. National immunisation information system launched

Launched on March 24, the National Immunisation Information System has been running in 63 cities and provinces nationwide since June 1, 2017. So far, the system has recorded 8,713,381 people. The system ensures the lifetime management of all immunised people through their ID.

7. Centralised drug procurement bidding to reduce drug prices, save money

The National Centralised Drug Procurement Centre carried out the first ever centralised bidding for procurement of five active substances and 22 types of drugs. The total bid price was more than VND2.269 trillion (US$100 million) while the estimated price of these pharmaceutical products was VND2.746 trillion (US$121 million), helping save more than VND477 billion (US$21 million).

8. Vietnam produces measles-rubella vaccine

Vietnam has become one of four Asian countries capable of producing the measles-rubella vaccine, after China, Japan and India. This is the first time Vietnam has produced the two in one vaccine, using modern technologies. The vaccine was approved by the Health Ministry in March 2017 to be put into circulation, one year ahead of schedule.

9. Kidney dialysis incident at Hoa Binh General Hospital.

Eighteen patients undergoing hemodialysis at Hoa Binh General Hospital on May 29, 2017 suffered signs of anaphylactic shock after one hour of hemodialysis. 

Eight of them died while ten others were transferred to Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi.

The Ministry of Public Security’s Criminal Science Institute announced that water samples from dialysis machines number 10 and 13 had a low level of potential of hydrogen (pH) and high conductivity. The florua level in the machines were 245 and 260 times higher, respectively, than permissible limit of Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI).

The other dialysis machines tested also had the florua levels hundreds of times higher than permitted.

10. Violence, attacks on health workers

The community and the media condemned attacks on health workers, including the cases at Thach That Hospital in Hanoi, Hospital 115 in central Nghe An province, the medical centre in Huong Long commune, central Ha Tinh province, Vietnam – Cuba Friendship Hospital in Dong Hoi city, central Quang Binh province and Hospital 115 in northern Thai Binh province.