Reporting at the working session with the delegation at Cu Chi Regional General Hospital, Director Nguyen Trong Hao of Hoc Mon Regional General Hospital said the hospital has steadily strengthened its professional capacity. In addition, it has expanded operations and improved the quality of medical services, enabling residents to access high-quality healthcare closer to home.
During the first six months of the year, the hospital recorded more than 228,000 outpatient visits, up 22.7 percent from the same period in 2025, more than 20,700 emergency cases, up 17.2 percent, and 15,100 inpatient admissions, an increase of 33.1 percent.
The hospital also performed nearly 900 surgeries, more than 97,000 medical procedures, over 845,000 laboratory tests and more than 140,000 diagnostic imaging and functional examinations.
Bed occupancy continued to improve, reflecting growing public confidence in the hospital's services. The patient referral rate also declined to 1.7 percent, indicating that more patients are being diagnosed and treated effectively at the hospital.
Director Cao Tan Phuoc of Thu Duc Regional General Hospital said that after nearly one year of operation, the hospital has seen a marked increase in emergency cases, outpatient visits, inpatient admissions and surgeries.
Outpatient visits now range from 3,500 to 4,200 per day, up from a previous average of about 3,000. Inpatient admissions have increased from around 550 to between 750 and 900 cases, representing growth of about 35-45 percent.
Meanwhile, Director Nguyen Thanh Phuong of Cu Chi Regional General Hospital said outpatient visits and inpatient admissions have increased steadily each year. The proportion of doctors holding Specialist Level I and II qualifications, along with staff holding postgraduate degrees, has also continued to rise, providing a strong foundation for improving healthcare quality.
Dr. Tran Vinh Hung, Director of Binh Dan Hospital, said the hospital has provided comprehensive professional support to Cu Chi Regional General Hospital to help it develop into a Grade I regional referral hospital.
Similarly, Senior Colonel Bui Duc Thanh, deputy director of Military Hospital 175 under the Ministry of National Defense, said the hospital is expanding support for gateway hospitals in orthopedic care, with the goal of helping patients access minimally invasive spinal surgery and advanced musculoskeletal treatments closer to home.
City works toward a multi-tiered, multi-center healthcare system
Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Nguyen Phuoc Loc said Ho Chi Minh City has significantly increased public investment in healthcare over the past two years.
He cited the construction of the new Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine and its teaching hospital at the Tan Kien Medical Complex, which is expected to become Vietnam's largest medical training center.
The city has also invested heavily in the three gateway general hospitals in Cu Chi, Hoc Mon and Thu Duc, equipping them with modern CT, MRI, DSA and ECMO systems. Each hospital has between 18 and 22 modern operating rooms comparable to those at major referral hospitals. Thu Duc Regional General Hospital and Hoc Mon Regional General Hospital will also receive robotic surgery systems.
He emphasized that despite the substantial investment, healthcare demand in the gateway areas remains high.
For instance, Cu Chi, with a population of about 588,000, currently requires 2,030 hospital beds, a figure projected to rise to 2,436 by 2030. Even with the 1,000-bed Cu Chi Regional General Hospital, the 300-bed Cu Chi Hospital and the 800-bed Xuyen A Hospital, the area is still expected to face a shortfall of more than 300 beds by 2030.
Hoc Mon, home to about 774,000 residents, currently has only one 1,000-bed hospital despite requiring 2,695 beds this year and 3,234 by 2030.
Thu Duc, with a population of 1.2 million, requires about 4,900 hospital beds, rising to 5,880 by 2030. Depending on calculations that include civilian-military healthcare coordination, the area still faces a shortage of between 250 and 750 beds.
To build a sustainable, multi-tiered, multi-polar and multi-center healthcare system, particularly by strengthening gateway hospitals and bringing healthcare services closer to residents, MNguyen Phuoc Loc said the city will continue investing in expanding the capacity and quality of the hospitals.
The municipal People's Committee will also direct relevant agencies to develop incentive policies for specialist medical staff rotating to gateway hospitals. The three hospitals will work with local authorities to provide official housing so that specialists from higher-level hospitals can work and settle there long term, helping retain highly qualified medical personnel.
At the same time, Ho Chi Minh City will ask Vietnam Social Security to remove bottlenecks in health insurance reimbursement for Grade I hospitals and referral hospitals providing technical support to lower-level hospitals, ensuring stable revenue while allowing reimbursement for mobile health insurance examination services.
Mr. Nguyen Phuoc Loc concluded by recalling remarks by Party General Secretary and State President To Lam during a recent working session with Ho Chi Minh City that the greatest achievement of the city's growth and development must be reflected in the highest possible level of benefits enjoyed by its people.
He said this remains the ultimate goal for both the healthcare sector and the city government.
