Decision No. 23/2005/QD-BYT on Issuing Technical Classification and Technical List for Medical Examination and Treatment

DECISION OF THE MINISTER OF HEALTH

Regarding the issuance of Technical Classification Regulations

and Technical Catalogue in Medical Examination and Treatment

THE MINISTER OF HEALTH

Pursuant to Decree No. 49/2003/NĐ-CP dated May 15, 2003 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Health;

Considering the proposal of the Director of the Treatment Department and the Director of the Legal Affairs Department of the Ministry of Health,

DECISION:

Article 1. IssuingTechnical Classification Regulations and Technical Catalogue in Medical Examination and Treatmentto be implemented at public and private medical examination and treatment facilities nationwide.

Article 2. Based on these Technical Classification Regulations and Technical Catalogue in Medical Examination and Treatment, the Director of the Health Department shall be responsible for issuing decisions to approve the technical catalogue in medical examination and treatment for public medical examination and treatment facilities under the professional management of the Health Department and private hospitals and clinics; health centers and clinics with medical examination and treatment functions of sectoral health services located within their jurisdiction; the Ministry of Health shall approve the technical catalogue for medical examination and treatment for facilities directly under the Ministry of Health and sectoral hospitals. The approved technical catalogue for each medical examination and treatment facility will serve as the basis for health insurance payment and referral.

Article 3. Entrusting the Treatment Department to take the lead in coordinating with the Inspectorate of the Ministry of Health and relevant Departments and Bureaus to be responsible for directing, inspecting, and supervising the implementation of the "Technical Classification Regulations and Technical Catalogue in Medical Examination and Treatment."

Article 4. The Standard Measurement Quality Control Department shall be responsible for organizing and guiding the implementation of the Regulations adopted herein.

Article 5. Gentlemen/Ladies: Chief of the Office, Directors of the Treatment Department, Chief Inspector, Heads of Departments, Directors of Bureaus of the Ministry of Health's agency, Directors of Health Departments of provinces and centrally-administered cities, Heads of health sectors, Heads of medical examination and treatment facilities are responsible for implementing this Decision./.

REGULATIONS

TECHNICAL CLASSIFICATION AND TECHNICAL CATALOGUE

IN MEDICAL EXAMINATION AND TREATMENT

(Issued together with Decision No. 23/2005/QĐ-BYT dated August 30, 2005)

of the Minister of Health)

I. TECHNICAL CLASSIFICATION IN MEDICAL EXAMINATION AND TREATMENT

1. Medical examination and treatment facilities include:

a) General and specialized hospitals; hospitals with beds under the Ministry of Health;

b) General and specialized hospitals; health centers with medical examination and treatment functions; maternity homes; general and specialized clinics under provincial and centrally-administered city health departments (referred to collectively as health departments), and sectoral health services;

c) Health stations in communes, wards, towns; health services of agencies, units, schools of various sectors;

d) General and specialized hospitals; general and specialized clinics outside the public sector.

2. Technical Classification Regulations in Medical Examination and Treatment (hereinafter referred to as Technical Classification) classify four levels: central level, provincial level, district level, commune level.

a) Central level:

- General and specialized hospitals; hospitals with beds under the Ministry of Health;

- Class I general and specialized hospitals under provincial health departments and sectoral health services;

- General and specialized hospitals under provincial health departments assigned by the Ministry of Health to perform the final level of regional and national duties.

b) Provincial level:

- General and specialized hospitals under provincial health departments (excluding Class I hospitals and those assigned by the Ministry of Health to perform final-level medical examination and treatment duties);

- Health centers with medical examination and treatment functions under provincial health departments;

- District-level Class II hospitals;

- Class II general and specialized hospitals of sectoral health services;

- General and specialized hospitals outside the public sector.

c) District level:

- District and town general and specialized hospitals;

- Regional general clinics;

- Class III hospitals and unranked hospitals, health centers with beds of sectoral health services;

- General and specialized clinics outside the public sector.

d) Commune level:

- Commune health stations;

- Health stations of agencies, units, and schools.

3. Technical classification will be supplemented and amended annually to align with the development of specialties and techniques.

II. TECHNICAL CATALOGUE IN MEDICAL EXAMINATION AND TREATMENT

1. The Technical Catalogue in Medical Examination and Treatment (hereinafter referred to as Technical Catalogue) is arranged according to specialties and fields; Technical Classification is set at a medium level within the scope of professional and technical expertise for levels from commune, district, province to central (Technical Classification and Technical Catalogue in Medical Examination and Treatment attached to these Regulations).

2. A technique may be performed by multiple specialties and fields, but in these Regulations, it is arranged under one specialty or field (except for pediatrics).

3. The Technical Catalogue will be amended and supplemented annually to align with the development of specialties and techniques.

III. IMPLEMENTATION

1. Approval of the Technical Catalogue will be carried out as follows:

a) Approval of the Technical Catalogue currently being implemented at medical examination and treatment facilities:

- Based on Technical Classification; taking into account the actual conditions of the unit regarding professional capacity, infrastructure, equipment; referring to the technical procedures guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health, heads of medical examination and treatment facilities establish a professional advisory board to advise on building a list of current techniques being implemented at their own units and report to the higher-level management authority;

- Based on the Technical Catalogue of each medical examination and treatment facility, the higher-level management authority issues a decision to approve the Technical Catalogue currently being implemented at each medical examination and treatment facility:

+ Provincial Health Departments for medical examination and treatment facilities at the provincial, district, and commune levels, and private hospitals and clinics; health centers and clinics with medical examination and treatment functions of sectoral health services within their jurisdiction;

+ The Ministry of Health for medical examination and treatment facilities at the central level and sectoral hospitals;

- Heads of medical examination and treatment facilities are responsible for the Technical Catalogue of their facilities submitted to the higher-level management authority for approval. The higher-level management authority will review any Technical Catalogue submitted by medical examination and treatment facilities for approval.

b) Approval of additional techniques:

After the Technical Catalogue has been approved by the higher-level management authority, additional techniques to be implemented must be carried out as follows:

- Techniques within the classified level will be decided upon and reported to the higher-level management authority by the head of the unit;

- Techniques exceeding the defined scope of the level, medical examination and treatment facilities will submit them to the higher-level management authority, which will form a review board and issue a decision to approve.

- For high-level techniques under the central line that provincial and district medical examination and treatment facilities plan to implement, such facilities must report to the Department of Health, which will then propose to the Ministry of Health. The Ministry of Health shall establish a Council to review and approve.

c) Approve the Technical Catalogue at non-public health facilities:

- Based on the scope of techniques approved when issuing the certificate of qualification for practice, non-public medical examination and treatment facilities must submit to the Department of Health for consideration and approval of the technical catalogue currently being implemented at their facility;

- During subsequent operations, if new techniques are deployed, they must be reported to the competent authority as prescribed by laws on private healthcare practice for further consideration and approval.

2. To ensure patient safety, if a medical examination and treatment facility has been approved to perform a technical catalogue but cannot proceed due to objective reasons, such a facility may transfer patients to higher-level facilities for treatment.

3. The Director of the Treatment Department of the Ministry of Health/the Director of the Department of Health shall be responsible for organizing the implementation of the Technical Tiering for subordinate medical examination and treatment facilities; inspecting and supervising additional technical catalogues approved by the heads of subordinate medical examination and treatment facilities.

4. Higher-level management agencies and heads of medical examination and treatment facilities have the responsibility to gradually invest in upgrading infrastructure, medical equipment, personnel, and improving professional skills to be capable of performing techniques within their units and ensuring compliance with the technical catalogues stipulated by tier.

5. In necessary cases, the Ministry of Health will organize inspections and reviews of medical examination and treatment facilities regarding the technical catalogues permitted to be performed at these facilities compared to their actual capabilities and conditions./.