Ministry of Information and Communications: Boosting information on healthcare.

In the coming period, the Ministry of Information and Communications will direct media agencies to intensify the dissemination of information on healthcare, working together with the medical sector to effectively care for and protect the health of the people.

The media must stay one step ahead.

On the afternoon of December 8th, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Information and Communications organized a workshop titled "Improving the Effectiveness of Communication on Health Issues," chaired by Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien and Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Truong Minh Tuan.

Speaking at the conference, Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien affirmed that, over the past period, the Ministry has listened to diverse and selective information on the activities of the health sector with the desire to bring the most practical and beneficial information to the people.

Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien speaks at the conference.

However, the Minister of Health acknowledged that cooperation between the health sector and the media has not yet achieved the expected results, and the health sector lacks a long-term strategy and plan for health communication and education.

The head of the health sector analyzed that, with over 400,000 medical facilities, the risk of medical malpractice can occur at any time, but these facilities lack the skills to handle media crises. Meanwhile, unverified information spreads rapidly on social media, affecting the overall results of the health sector.

"The media must be one step ahead, but leaders and healthcare professionals only talk deeply about professional matters and have correct concepts and ideas, but their handling and implementation are incorrect. Therefore, we hope that in the future, we will strengthen media cooperation at all levels to provide timely information to the public and avoid causing panic," Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien stated.

The Minister of Health also hopes that the media crisis in the healthcare sector will become a model for coordinating with the media for the benefit of the people.

Journalism must adhere to standards.

Emphasizing the importance of media to the development of the health sector, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Truong Minh Tuan stressed that the timely encouragement, support, and sharing from news agencies and the press have contributed to creating consensus among the people regarding the policies and guidelines of the health sector.

Deputy Minister Truong Minh Tuan emphasized that in the coming time, there needs to be stronger coordination between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Information and Communications to improve people's understanding and support for the healthcare sector and to raise awareness of healthcare practices.

Through the press, the health sector has been able to promptly detect and address violations, negative practices, and shortcomings, thereby contributing to improving the quality and effectiveness of healthcare, protection, and promotion of public health. In particular, journalistic works highlighting the silent contributions of healthcare workers and the achievements of the health sector have served as a great source of encouragement and motivation for the entire sector.

"In the coming period, the two Ministries need to develop a specific communication strategy and strengthen communication efforts so that people have a better understanding and share information with the health sector, thereby improving healthcare for the entire community," Deputy Minister Truong Minh Tuan emphasized.

From the perspective of the press, the Deputy Minister of Information and Communications suggested that media agencies must demonstrate professionalism in the flow of information, serving as a basis for the public to verify information; they should organize a team of specialists in the field of healthcare and simultaneously plan to build specialized pages and sections for information and propaganda on the healthcare sector.

"A doctor's mistake may affect one person, but misinformation can have consequences for many people and for society," Mr. Tuan noted to the press.

Deputy Minister Truong Minh Tuan also expressed his hope that the Ministry of Health would proactively coordinate with the Ministry of Information and Communications to organize training courses to improve writing skills on health-related topics, creating conditions to provide information to the press as quickly and accurately as possible, and fulfilling the responsibilities of spokespersons, especially during prominent or special events.

Responding to feedback from the Ministry of Information and Communications, Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien stated that in the coming period, the Ministry of Health will be more proactive, open, and transparent in providing information; improve its skills in handling media crises; and cooperate more closely and share more information with the press.

According to vietnamnet.vn