Prime Minister: The health sector must put people's health and lives first

On the morning of January 20, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended and gave a speech at the online conference on implementing health work in 2022 organized by the Ministry of Health. Also attending were Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam; representatives of leaders of ministries, departments and central agencies; international organizations and more than 700 connecting points in 63 provinces and cities.

Comrade Bui Dinh Long - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee chaired at Nghe An bridge. Also attending were representatives of departments, branches, sectors and medical units in the province.

Nghe An bridge point attended the conference. Photo: Quang Tuyen

Focus on COVID-19 prevention and control

In 2021, the health sector basically completed the targets, tasks and solutions assigned by the Government in Resolution No. 01/NQ-CP dated January 1, 2021. The sector focused on epidemic prevention and control.COVID-19and other epidemics, not allowing the situation of "epidemic on epidemic". The number of cases and deaths of most common infectious diseases, HIV/AIDS, and food poisoning decreased compared to 2020.

Carrying out the dual task of ensuring hospital safety and preventing epidemics in the new normal period, the health sector has strengthened its capacity at the grassroots level, established a resuscitation, care and treatment system to reduce mortality, formed mobile medical stations so that people can access quality medical services conveniently and promptly; implemented the application of electronic medical declarations; built and deployed electronic health books, promoted remote medical consultation and treatment... effectively.

In 2022, the health sector sets the goal of developing a fair, high-quality, effective, sustainable, adaptable and resilient health system, aiming at universal health coverage, contributing to improving the physical and mental health, stature, longevity and quality of life of Vietnamese people. Some specific goals are: The rate of population participating in health insurance reaches 92%; The number of doctors reaches 9.43/10,000 people; The number of hospital beds reaches over 29.5/10,000 people...

To achieve these goals, the health sector continues to focus on disease prevention and control.COVID-19, successfully implementing the COVID-19 Prevention and Control Program (2022-2023) contributes significantly to effectively implementing the Socio-Economic Recovery and Development Program.

The health sector promotes the improvement of the quality of health human resources, gradually ensuring sufficient quantity and improving the quality of health workers at all levels; improving the capacity and quality of preventive and grassroots health activities, the quality of medical examination and treatment for people; ensuring fairness in health care.

The sector focuses on perfecting institutions, developing and submitting draft laws and continuing to review and perfect legal documents to remove difficulties and obstacles; implementing the Politburo's conclusion on increasing preferential allowances for preventive medicine and grassroots health workers; promoting the prevention and fight against negativity, corruption, and group interests in health work; strengthening state management in the fields of pharmaceuticals and equipment.

Put people's health and lives first to act

Speaking at the conference, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stated: In 2021, with the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam faced unprecedented difficulties, especially in the health sector. However, Vietnam has turned "Danger" into "Opportunity". Politics and social security are stable; Independence and sovereignty are maintained; foreign relations have made important progress, with deep integration; the economy continues to develop, ensuring a balance between revenue and expenditure; and the labor market is not disrupted.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stated: The health sector must not be negligent or subjective, and must always be vigilant against new COVID-19 variants. Photo: Quang Tuyen

In the prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have strictly followed the Party's leadership; remained calm, confident, and courageous in difficult times; had the right approach of "all people, from the grassroots, taking people as the center" in the fight against the pandemic; resolutely, focusedly, and effectively implemented anti-pandemic solutions; mobilized the combined strength of the political system; created national solidarity, sought support from international friends; promoted democracy, and mobilized collective intelligence to make appropriate anti-pandemic decisions... The COVID-19 pandemic has been effectively controlled.

The Prime Minister commended the health sector in 2021 for its drastic and synchronous implementation of anti-epidemic medical measures; promptly shifting the status from "No COVID-19" to "Access to the whole population", "safe and flexible adaptation, effective control of the COVID-19 epidemic"; well implementing the three pillars in the fight against the epidemic "isolation - testing - treatment"; strengthening and improving the capacity of grassroots health care, not allowing the health system to collapse; effectively and promptly implementing the largest vaccination strategy and campaign ever, achieving a very high rate; promptly supplementing anti-epidemic solutions... to protect people's health and lives... Many examples of medical staff have affirmed and demonstrated Uncle Ho's teaching "A good doctor is like a mother".

Entering 2022, the COVID-19 epidemic is still complicated, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested: The health sector needs to resolutely put people's health and lives first in action; must not be negligent or subjective in epidemic prevention and control; grasp and forecast the situation, be vigilant and have measures to remotely prevent virus variants.

The health sector needs to concretize the Party Congress Resolution, the resolutions of the Central Committee, the National Assembly, and the Government on health to effectively carry out immediate and long-term tasks; continue to provide good advice to perfect the institution; immediately overcome limitations in the field of preventive medicine and grassroots health; focus on training human resources, improving the qualifications and capacity of health workers; have preferential policies, attract doctors to the grassroots; invest more in technology development and digital transformation; have solutions to mobilize resources. Public-private cooperation to invest in health development; promote information and communication work, raise awareness among people... In particular, it is necessary to constantly build and enhance the fighting capacity of the Party organization; prevent and combat corruption; train staff, promote professional ethics, and clean the health sector staff.

The Prime Minister specifically requested the health sector and localities to "speed up, even faster" in vaccinating against COVID-19 to create a basis for safe reopening, economic recovery and socio-economic development. "The Government and the Ministry of Health have directed very strongly to promote vaccine coverage. The dispatches have clearly stated that if there is a shortage of vaccines, the Minister of Health must take responsibility, and if there are vaccines but they cannot be injected, the Chairmen of the People's Committees of provinces and cities must take responsibility before the Party, the State and the people" - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stated.