At the meeting, Director of the municipal Department of Health Dr. Tang Chi Thuong said that in 2016, over 6.3 million medical insurance cards were issued to residents achieving the coverage rate of 78 percent. Though hospitals improved their treatment quality, patients still waited for hours because of overloading.
Surveys showed that patients are not satisfied with registration procedures, medical workers’ behaviors and doctors’ examination way. Managers will take heed to improve it more.
Dr. Thuong said at present, of 101 infirmaries in the city, 51 public hospital have become self-financial facilities for years helping save around VND1.500 billion annually.
To attract more patients is also huge pressure for infirmaries, district facilities have taken good approach including raising treatment quality. Around 4,000 patients register to have examination in hospitals in districts Thu Duc, Tan Phu, Binh Thanh and BInh Tan each.
Moreover, to help reduce patient overload, the city health sector opens more satellite clinics and provides fresher course in order to raise doctors’ skills.
Head of the Sociocultural Committee , Ms. Thi Thi Tuyet Nhung fretted that some infirmaries will close because they lack some important department; in addition, district hospitals can not meet treatment demand.
Worse, low salary in district facilities is not competitive; so good doctors will leave for bigger hospitals or private institutions.
According to Luu Thi Thanh Huyen, vice director of the HCMC Social Insurance, nearly 15 million patients with medical insurance cards visited hospitals for examination by October 31; as a result, the agency spent VND12,563 billion while the agency collected just over VND8 trillion in 2017.
