Nghe An Health Sector: 10 outstanding events in 2021

1. Timely, effective, "on-point" and "correct" COVID-19 prevention and control advisory work:

As soon as the epidemic first appeared in Vietnam, the industryMedicalAs a standing agency, it has proactively advised the Steering Committee and the Provincial COVID-19 Prevention and Control Command Center to issue instructions and promptly and effectively implement appropriate epidemic prevention plans and measures, adapting to each development of the epidemic and achieving high results. The health sector has also actively and proactively advised and fully and specifically developed directive documents and professional instructions in accordance with the direction of the Government, the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Health and the Provincial Steering Committee for Epidemic Prevention and Control with the motto "fighting the epidemic like fighting the enemy", focusing on directing the drastic implementation of a system of synchronous and appropriate solutions to control the epidemic, best protecting the health and lives of the people.

Nghe An provincial leaders visit and present gifts to frontline forces fighting the epidemic. Photo: Document

2. Professional activities in COVID-19 prevention and control have been deployed promptly and effectively, responding to the developments of the epidemic:

Healthcare Industryhas established a 24/7 epidemic response system from the provincial to grassroots levels, promptly implementing monitoring, risk assessment, detection, tracing, zoning of outbreaks, organizing appropriate isolation and testing. Directing units in the health sector to prepare scenarios, human resources, material resources, equipment, drugs, medical supplies, and chemicals to ensure epidemic prevention and control in the worst case scenario and proactively maximizing the capacity for tracing, isolation, testing, and treatment.

Vinh City is one of the first localities to complete vaccination for secondary school students. In the photo: Vaccination for students of Le Mao Secondary School. Photo courtesy: My Ha

With the support of the Government and the Ministry of Health in terms of vaccine sources, the participation of the entire health system from the provincial to grassroots levels and the coordination of all levels, sectors, mass organizations and people, the health sector has deployed the largest-ever COVID-19 vaccination campaign in a timely, safe and effective manner. The whole province has basically achieved the vaccination coverage rate for the community with 99.1% of people aged 18 and over fully vaccinated with the basic dose, 98.2% of children aged 12-17 receiving at least one dose of vaccine.

Along with that is the shift to "safe, flexible adaptation, effective control of the COVID-19 epidemic", with the 5K solution + vaccine + treatment drugs + technology + people's awareness and pillars such as: rapid screening tests; effective isolation for each subject; Establishing a treatment system according to treatment stratification: District-level treatment facilities receive asymptomatic patients, mild patients; field hospitals receive moderate patients and 02 intensive care facilities are ready to receive and treat severe and critical patients; at the same time, harmoniously combining defense and attack to minimize the rate of infection, severe cases requiring hospitalization and death.

3. Coordination between the health sector and departments and localities in COVID-19 prevention and control has been effective:

We can see the success in epidemic prevention work.COVID-19The achievements in the past time are the result of the entire political system from the provincial to the grassroots level, as well as the proactive coordination of departments, branches, units and localities, especially the coordination with the military, police, and transportation forces in controlling population movements, detecting people returning from localities in the country and epidemic countries in the world through border gates, roads, railways and airlines; The coordination of the health sector with other departments and branches in monitoring and developing appropriate epidemic prevention plans at production and business establishments, industrial parks, crowded places such as markets, wholesale markets, supermarkets, tourist destinations, schools, etc. Thereby contributing to socio-economic development, ensuring social security and stabilizing people's lives.

Taking Covid-19 test samples for Vinh city residents. Photo: Thanh Chung

In addition, to promptly respond to the developments of the epidemic, all leaders of the industry, functional departments of the Department of Health, provincial CDC, provincial hospitals regularly follow, are present and provide timely support in localities with complicated epidemic developments, and at the same time mobilize all medical staff from public to private sectors, participate in coordination and support localities in activities such as testing, vaccination, isolation, etc. In particular, the industry has provided 7 working groups with 304 medical staff to participate in epidemic prevention for the provinces and cities: Ha Tinh, Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong and Dong Nai.

4. Many specialized medical examination and treatment techniques continue to be applied and implemented at all levels:

Despite being severely affected by the epidemic, medical examination and treatment facilities in the area from the provincial level to the grassroots level are always proactive and active in improving the quality of medical examination and treatment, developing advanced and specialized techniques to meet the requirements of treating seriously ill and critically ill patients such as: Effective application of artificial heart-lung machine (ECMO), laparoscopic liver resection, laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy, organ transplantation, robotic surgery,... Completing and routinely applying many advanced techniques at the upper level at district-level medical examination and treatment units: endoscopic techniques in the fields of Obstetrics, Urology, Digestion, screening and confirmation of SARS-CoV-2 by Realtime RT-PCR method...

5.The medical network continues to develop, improve and affirm its position in the region:

The Ministry of Health recognized and assigned the task of being the final line of technical expertise in medical examination and treatment in the North Central region to Nghe An General Hospital in the following specialties: Surgery, Internal Medicine, Obstetrics. The units: Oncology Hospital, Traditional Medicine Hospital and Provincial Center for Disease Control were recognized as Grade I. Merging Vinh Transport Hospital into Vinh City General Hospital, Traffic Rehabilitation Center 4 into Rehabilitation Hospital...Thereby aiming to build Nghe An into a high-tech medical center in the North Central region.

Performing a kidney transplant for a patient at Nghe An General Hospital. Photo: Document

6. Promote the role of primary health care and improve the quality of preventive medicine:

With the goal of strengthening the protection, care and improvement of people's health, especially in the context of the COVID-19 epidemic situation nationwide as well as in the province, the health sector has always been working hand in hand with the task of fighting the epidemic and developing the grassroots health network with over 90% of commune health stations having the conditions to examine and treat health insurance, implementing at least 50% of the technical list of the commune level; The rate of communes meeting the National Health Criteria is 93.26%, exceeding the target by 3.26% (equivalent to 429 communes).

Officers and staff review the list of F1 and F2 cases of the patient at the Quynh Lap Commune Health Station (Quynh Luu). Photo: PV

Regularly focus on directing, proactively and actively preventing infectious diseases, effectively controlling epidemics such as COVID-19, measles, malaria, dengue fever, etc., not allowing epidemics to overlap. The work of preventing and controlling non-communicable diseases has been focused on and deployed to the commune level such as preventing hypertension, diabetes, etc., gradually implementing health care for people at the commune level according to the principles of family medicine. Expanded immunization, environmental sanitation, prevention of harmful effects of tobacco, alcohol, malnutrition, etc. in the province have been strongly deployed to meet the people's proactive disease prevention needs.

7. Training and development of high-quality human resources has made important changes:

In 2021, the Department of Health sent 306 people for training.(PhD, CKII: 67 people; Master, CKI: 126 people; University bridging training: 113 people)including 87 district level people(CKII 4 people; Master, CKI: 41 people; University bridging training: 42 people).To improve the quality of human resources for units, the Department of Health has coordinated with Medical and Pharmaceutical Universities nationwide to open training and refresher courses. In particular, it has coordinated with Hanoi Medical University to open a specialized class I in Psychiatry.(12 students)and specialized class II in Emergency Resuscitation(22 students).

8. Nghe An's population work over 60 years of construction and development has made an important contribution to the sustainable development of the homeland and country:

After 60 years of construction and development, Nghe An province's population work has achieved many important results. The average number of children per woman of childbearing age decreased from 6.78 in 1961 to 2.76 in 2021. The population growth rate decreased from 3.45% in 1961 to 1.2% in 2021. The population structure of Nghe An province over the past 60 years has changed positively. Since 2007, our country has entered the "golden population" period. Population quality has improved in many aspects.

Implementing family planning well is one of the two tasks of Nghe An population sector. Photo: My Ha

Malnutrition and maternal and child mortality have decreased sharply. The stature and physical strength of Nghe An people have improved. Average life expectancy has increased rapidly, from 40 years old in 1960 to 73 years old in 2021. The population has been distributed more reasonably, associated with the process of urbanization, industrialization and the requirements of socio-economic development, ensuring national defense and security. The achievements of population work have greatly contributed to socio-economic development, increasing per capita income, reducing poverty, increasing learning opportunities, and enhancing gender equality.

9. Administrative reform and IT application continue to be effectively implemented in units, gradually meeting patient satisfaction:

In 2021, Nghe An has 03/26 hospitals nationwide implementing Electronic Medical Records including: Vinh City General Hospital, Quang Khoi General Hospital, and Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital.

Organize a review of all reception and service work, creating convenience for patients. Photo: Thanh Chung

The application of information technology to gradually digitize medical examination and treatment activities is a "breakthrough" step in administrative reform, minimizing inconvenience for patients. Up to now, 95.5% of administrative procedures of the Department of Health(85/89)Deploying level 4 public services, helping to reduce time and travel costs for sending documents and receiving results of organizations and individuals; increasing the transparency of administrative procedures, contributing to promoting socio-economic development.

10. All key health work indicators were completed and achieved the set goals:

During the year, with the consensus to overcome difficulties and efforts to complete the task of caring for and protecting people's health, the health sector has basically achieved and exceeded the main targets set out such as: Natural population growth rate of 1.2%; The rate of children under 1 year old fully vaccinated reached 95%; The rate of communes/wards/towns meeting the National Health Criteria set was 93.26%; The rate of commune, ward and town health stations with doctors working reached 90%; Achieving 11 doctors/10,000 people; 35.72 hospital beds/10,000 people; The rate of malnutrition in children under 5 years old was 15.3%.

Thanh Chung