Prime Minister requests handling of violations of health and life of doctors

On the occasion of the 63rd anniversary of Vietnam Doctors' Day (February 27, 1955 - February 27, 2018), this afternoon, February 24, in Ho Chi Minh City, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc visited and worked at Cho Ray Hospital, Vietnam.

Congratulating the achievements of the health sector in general and Cho Ray Hospital in particular, the Prime Minister requested the police and relevant agencies to strictly handle the assault and damage to the health and lives of medical staff and doctors.

Also attending were Minister and Head of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung, Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien, leaders of Ho Chi Minh City, nearly 350 key officials and doctors representing nearly 4,000 employees of Cho Ray Hospital.

Reporting to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Associate Professor - Doctor Nguyen Truong Son, Director of the Hospital, said that the Hospital has a history of 108 years of establishment and development, and in 2010 was recognized as a Special Hospital. With modern technical equipment and a team of highly qualified doctors and nurses, the Hospital is the leading end-line and is making an important contribution to the cause of health care for people in the Southern region. The Hospital has 2,000 people with university and post-graduate degrees, which are an important human resource to serve the second facility of the hospital, expected to be operational in 2021.

The hospital has also done a good job in directing the line, training and scientific research, including implementing the satellite hospital project for 20 lower-level hospitals and training and transferring 20 high techniques.

Up to now, Cho Ray Hospital has been completely financially autonomous and its revenue was 4,700 billion VND last year, the average income of each staff member is 17 million VND/person/month. The hospital's staff and doctors are implementing the motto of building a "quality, civilized, modern, and compassionate" hospital.

Speaking to the staff and doctors of Cho Ray Hospital, on the occasion of the 63rd anniversary of Vietnam Doctors' Day, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc sent his best wishes and regards to the entire team of doctors, medical staff, and health workers in general, and the 4,000 doctors and staff of Cho Ray Hospital in particular. The Prime Minister emphasized that this is also an opportunity for us to express our respect and gratitude to Vietnamese doctors.

Emphasizing that health is the most precious asset of people and the whole society, the Prime Minister therefore highlighted the important role of doctors and physicians. Looking back at 63 years of implementing Uncle Ho's teachings, "A doctor is like a kind mother", the Prime Minister assessed that the Vietnamese medical sector has matured in many aspects, both in terms of the medical network, the team of doctors and physicians as well as the quality of medical examination and treatment for the people. If in 1954 the whole country only had about 300 doctors and physicians, now there are 460,000 people in the sector; 14,000 medical examination and treatment facilities; 8.2 doctors per 10,000 people, higher than the average of ASEAN countries. The level of specialized medical development in our country has made remarkable progress.

The Prime Minister assessed that in the world, whenever there is any modern technology or new medicine, in a very short time, our country's doctors and physicians can access, apply, and master that technology, including Cho Ray Hospital, which is one of the leading hospitals in applying new technology. There are many new techniques that the hospital's physicians have successfully applied for the first time in the country.

Appreciating the Hospital's financial autonomy and improving the lives of doctors and nurses, the Prime Minister praised the Hospital's doctors for their dedication and efforts in serving patients, in which in 2017 there were more than 1.5 million patients coming for examination and emergency care:

The Prime Minister said: "These telling figures have demonstrated and recognized the hospital's talent and prestige among patients and people, especially in the southern provinces. With these comprehensive achievements, on behalf of the Government, I commend the efforts and achievements of the health sector in general and Cho Ray Hospital in particular over the past time. Among them are the silent contributions of physicians, pharmacists, and medical staff, not only in our hospital but also the great contributions of staff, doctors, and medical practitioners in all regions of the country for patients and the people of Vietnam."

However, the Prime Minister also pointed out some difficulties, limitations and weaknesses such as medical ethics, hospital overcrowding, antibiotic and testing abuse. The management of many hospitals still has many problems. Administrative reform, financial transparency; management of medical equipment, drug prices, and recently, security and safety issues in our country also have problems.

Therefore, in the coming time, the Prime Minister requested the health sector and relevant sectors to synchronously implement solutions to strengthen the work of protecting, caring for and improving people's health according to Resolution 20 of the Central Executive Committee. In particular, it is necessary to focus on cultivating and improving medical ethics according to Uncle Ho's teachings, which is to love and care for the sick as if they were our own brothers and sisters. Because in reality, in some places there is still a state of indifference to the pain of the sick.

Along with that, the medical sector needs to focus on reducing hospital overload, moving towards patients not having to share beds at medical facilities. In particular, focusing on reducing the load for central general hospitals, specialized hospitals for oncology, trauma and orthopedics, pediatrics, cardiology, and obstetrics, especially in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

In recent years, although the country is still poor, the Government has invested a lot of resources in the health sector. The Prime Minister requested the health sector and Cho Ray Hospital to effectively use these investment resources. In particular, the Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Health and relevant agencies to accelerate the construction of 5 central end-line hospitals to put them into effective operation in 2018.

The Prime Minister said: "I have told the health sector many times that this is just the shell of the new hospital. The core, that is, the quality and reputation of the doctors inside the hospital, along with the necessary equipment, determines the number of patients coming there for examination. At Bach Mai, Viet Duc and especially Cho Ray, we do not only come here with the 108-year brand, but also with the professional skills and qualifications of the doctors. In such hospitals, we must train the best human resources so that patients know that coming there is like Cho Ray Hospital, Bach Mai Hospital, then we can hope to reduce the load. Training human resources and improving the quality of human resources in the health sector has become a pressing issue, especially with new hospitals where we spend thousands of billions to do this important work."

Regarding the issue of administration, ensuring hospital security and safety, and preventing unnecessary incidents, the Prime Minister requested to promptly overcome some negative aspects in some hospitals such as the monopoly on providing hospital logistics services such as ambulances, taxis, food services, and hospital security and safety.

And the Prime Minister paid special attention to handling the situation of insecurity and safety in hospitals: "I pay special attention and request that localities and relevant sectors take measures to strictly handle cases of violations of the dignity and life of doctors and medical staff. There are two things I have set out. One is to mobilize the masses to condemn acts that affect the lives and health of doctors and medical staff nationwide. Second, I request that competent agencies, especially the police, investigate and strictly handle acts that cause injuries to medical staff. Especially in some places like Yen Bai, which have just happened and we are strongly condemning. We must handle at a high level to deter and educate those who cause harm to the health and lives of medical staff."

With the attention of the Party and the State, the Prime Minister hopes that the staff, doctors and medical staff of the health sector will promote the good results of the past time, continue to unite, join hands, promote achievements and good traditions, strive to achieve greater changes and results in the cause of protecting, caring for and improving the health of our people. The Prime Minister hopes that the staff, employees and doctors of Cho Ray Hospital will build the hospital in the direction of "quality, civilization, modernity and humanity" as the hospital's motto.

Also this afternoon, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc visited and encouraged doctors and nurses at Tam Duc Heart Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City./.