In his directive speech, Deputy Secretary Nguyen Phuoc Loc of the HCMC Party Committee highly appreciated the results achieved by the city's health sector in the first nine months of the year. He also praised the professional expertise and skills of Vietnam's medical staff, including those in HCMC.
The city’s health sector has set a direction towards developing specialized healthcare services, aiming to become a regional medical hub. This goal necessitates continued investment in infrastructure and equipment.
According to Deputy Secretary Nguyen Phuoc Loc, a distinctive feature of HCMC's health sector is the involvement of tertiary-level hospitals in providing professional guidance and support to district-level facilities in the southern region. This is a significant responsibility for the city's health sector, requiring close coordination and synchronization, especially in collaboration with the Ministry of Health.
He then requested that the Party Committee of the HCMC People's Committee direct the municipal Department of Health to conduct thorough research, develop projects, and coordinate with local healthcare facilities.
He proposed inviting the Party Committee of the Ministry of Health to collaborate with the HCMC Party Executive Committee to establish a specific coordination program. This will serve as a political foundation for concerted efforts to protect and care for the people's health.
The Deputy Secretary also emphasized the need to enhance the quality of primary healthcare, including exploring investments in school health and dental programs in collaboration with the city's health sector. As an initial step, he suggested piloting these programs and considering expanding their coverage.
Addressing the importance of nutrition in occupational health, he requested that the Party Committee and the Department of Health's Board of Directors comprehensively direct efforts to control infections, promote nutrition, and facilitate patient rehabilitation in the city's leading hospitals. Additionally, the health sector should develop and propose a project to promote a balanced diet in the future.
Regarding party building tasks, Deputy Secretary Nguyen Phuoc Loc urged the Party Committee of the Department of Health to focus on resolving outstanding issues within the sector's jurisdiction, preventing minor problems from accumulating into larger ones that could have negative impacts on the overall development of the sector.
In the meeting, Deputy Secretary Tran Van Xoi of the Party Committee of the HCMC Department of Health reported that in the first nine months of 2024, the city had to officially declare a measles outbreak for the first time. However, leveraging the lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic, the city's health sector proactively implemented timely and flexible solutions to control this infectious disease.
This year, HCMC also became the first locality nationwide to officially deploy a network of community health volunteers. As of October 2024, there were over 13,000 volunteers, exceeding 82 percent of the target.
Over the past nine months, projects for constructing and equipping three gateway hospitals have continued to progress as planned. Thu Duc General Hospital and Cu Chi General Hospital are expected to be operational from April 2025. Hoc Mon General Hospital is scheduled to open in October 2024.
As of October 8, the disbursement rate for public investment capital in the sector reached nearly 43 percent. It is expected that by the end of the year, the disbursement rate will reach 94.3 percent.
