 Over the past 68 years, generations of medical workers have contributed to the development of Vietnam’s health sector (Photo: baodantoc.vn) |
In a letter to the Medical Staff Conference on February 27, 1955, President Ho Chi Minh urged medical workers to help the Government develop the health care system to meet people’s needs. Since then, medical workers have strived to fulfill their task of protecting, caring for, and improving people's health.
Fulfilling task of protecting people’s health
Over the years, Vietnam has successfully prevented or contained a number of dangerous diseases. It eradicated smallpox in 1978, the plague in 2002, and neonatal tetanus in 2005. It was one of the first countries to control the SARS epidemic and stopped newly emerging diseases such as Ebola and MERS-Cov. Hundreds of thousands of medical workers have been on the frontline day and night in the fight against COVID-19 in the last three years. Vietnam was one of the six countries with the highest COVID-19 vaccination coverage in the world. In addition, the health sector has effectively responded to other diseases and prevented overlapping epidemics.
 Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (Photo: baochinhphu.vn) |
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said: "I commend the medical staff, who have good ethics and professionalism as well as the achievements of the health sector. On behalf of the Government, I offer my deep gratitude to the entire team of "white blouse soldiers" across the country. Their efforts, dedication and sacrifices have contributed to national development."
Vietnamese medical workers also fulfilled their tasks with the UN peacekeeping mission, providing medical examination and treatment and medicine, presenting gifts to people in South Sudan and donating necessary medicines and medical supplies to Bentiu General Hospital in the African country.
Develop Vietnam’s medical science
Over the past few years, Vietnam has produced 11 types of vaccines, and developed and applied biotechnology to produce a number of products that can detect disease risk factors. From 2015 to 2022, the health sector fulfilled 460 tasks of research and development for new drugs and conducted clinical trials of drugs and vaccines. Vietnamese medical workers have mastered the transplant of 6 major organs (heart, liver, kidney, lung, pancreas, and intestine) as well as endoscopic surgery, cardiovascular intervention, and acupuncture at a cost of 1/2 to 1/3 lower than in other countries.
With the goal of improving the physical and mental health and quality of life of Vietnamese people, the health sector continues to build a fair, high-quality, and internationally integrated health care system, as requested by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh:
"It’s important to take a comprehensive approach to the development of the health sector that engages both the public and private sector. We need to mobilize all resources to develop an advanced and integrated healthcare sector in a rapid, sustainable manner. The health sector needs to further promote innovation and in-depth scientific research," said the Prime MInister.