Decision No. 2331/2004/QD-BYT promulgates the Vietnam Border Health Quarantine Procedures issued by the Minister of Health.

Pursuant to …;

DECISION NO. 2331/2004/QĐ-BYT OF THE MINISTER OF HEALTH ON JULY 6, 2004, ISSUING THE PROCEDURE FOR BORDER HEALTH QUARANTINE OF THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM

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;
Pursuant to Decree No. 41/1998/NĐ-CP dated June 11, 1998 of the Government promulgating the Regulations on Border Health Quarantine of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
After receiving the agreement from the Ministry of Finance in Circular No. 2528/TCHQ-PC dated June 2, 2004, the Ministry of Transport in Circular No. 2720/GTVT-PC dated June 2, 2004, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Circular No. 1238/BNN-PC dated June 2, 2004, the Ministry of Public Security in Circular No. 1030/CV-BCA(V11) dated June 23, 2004, and the Ministry of National Defense in Circular No. 758/QY-8 dated May 28, 2004;
At the proposal of the Director of the Preventive Medicine and HIV/AIDS Control Department under the Ministry of Health.

Pursuant to …;

Article 1. Attached hereto is the "Procedure for Border Health Quarantine of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam".

Article 2. The Standard Measurement Quality Control Department shall be responsible for organizing and guiding the implementation of the Regulations adopted herein.

Article 3. The following officials are responsible for implementing this Decision: the Head of the Office, the Director of the Preventive Medicine and HIV/AIDS Control Department, the Directors of Provincial Health Departments under the Central Government, the Directors of Preventive Medicine Centers in provinces with border health quarantine activities, and the Directors of International Health Quarantine Centers in the cities of Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hai Phong, and the provinces of Quang Ninh, Lang Son, and Lao Cai.

PROCEDURE

FOR BORDER HEALTH QUARANTINE OF THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM
(Issued together with Decision No. 2331/2004/QĐ-BYT dated July 6, 2004 of the Minister of Health)

I. GENERAL PROVISIONS

1. OBJECTS OF HEALTH QUARANTINE

All persons, means of transport, and objects capable of carrying infectious diseases from areas where such diseases are present or circulating (cholera, plague, yellow fever, and other dangerous infectious diseases as specified by the Ministry of Health) must be subject to supervision and health quarantine at border checkpoints when entering or leaving the country or importing or exporting goods.

2. PRINCIPLES OF HEALTH QUARANTINE

2.1. The border health quarantine authority shall issue a health quarantine certificate only to those quarantine objects that meet hygiene standards, food safety standards, and do not have carriers or vectors of the diseases requiring health quarantine.

2.2. The border health quarantine authority shall issue a health quarantine certificate only after medical treatment has been applied to those quarantine objects that do not meet hygiene and food safety standards and have carriers or vectors of the diseases requiring health quarantine.

3. LOCATION OF HEALTH QUARANTINE .

To effectively prevent dangerous diseases from entering the country, the location of health quarantine must ensure that the health quarantine authority is the first point of contact and inspection for all incoming and outgoing persons, means of transport, and goods.

4. ADDITIONAL HEALTH QUARANTINE MEASURES

In cases of newly emerging dangerous infectious diseases, the Ministry of Health will stipulate additional health quarantine measures.

5. EQUIPMENT FOR HEALTH QUARANTINE.

All border health quarantine authorities must be equipped with essential equipment, means, medicines, and chemicals to fully implement health quarantine procedures as prescribed in the Regulations on Border Health Quarantine of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

6. COORDINATION BETWEEN HEALTH QUARANTINE AUTHORITIES AND OTHER SPECIALIZED AUTHORITIES AT BORDER CHECKPOINTS

6.1. The health quarantine authority is the specialized management body responsible for implementing border health quarantine according to the Regulations on Border Health Quarantine of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

6.2. The health quarantine authority is subject to supervision and inspection by the Border Gate Management Board and must comply with the Border Gate Management Regulations.

6.3. When conducting health quarantine and inter-agency coordination is required, the health quarantine authority must proactively propose cooperation with relevant units at the checkpoint to avoid overlapping and hindering the quarantine objects.

6.4. The health quarantine authority must closely coordinate with other specialized authorities at the checkpoint to obtain relevant health data and information to monitor, detect, and promptly handle quarantine objects carrying pathogens or diseases requiring health quarantine.

II. PROCEDURE FOR AIRPORT HEALTH QUARANTINE

1. FOR PASSENGERS AND AIRCRAFT

1.1. PRIOR TO LANDING

The health quarantine authority collects information from the airport about the aircraft's landing time, daily flight schedules, and any sudden health issues among passengers and crew members to arrange quarantine personnel. y consolidate information from the Airports Cluster regarding the time of aircraft landing, the schedule of flights for the day, and any urgent information about the health status of passengers and crew on the flight to arrange medical quarantine personnel.

1.2. UPON LANDING

1.2.1. A health quarantine officer is present at the aircraft door, checks the General Declaration provided by the flight attendant, and gathers preliminary information from the flight attendant regarding passenger health conditions. After passengers disembark, the health quarantine officer inspects the luggage compartment, food and beverage storage areas, restrooms, and passenger compartments for hygiene and signs of disease carriers or vectors. If unsatisfactory hygiene conditions, food safety issues, or disease carriers or vectors are found, the health quarantine officer requires the carrier to take appropriate medical measures before allowing the aircraft to be used.

1.2.2. One or two health quarantine officers observe the condition of passengers as they exit the aircraft and enter the immigration area. If suspected sick individuals are identified, they are taken to the airport quarantine room for examination.

1.2.3. A clinical doctor health quarantine officer is stationed at the airport quarantine room to examine suspected sick individuals. Upon discovering a patient with a disease requiring health quarantine, the health quarantine officer informs the duty supervisor to organize the following actions:

a) Transport patients to the isolation treatment area using specialized vehicles for monitoring and treatment.

b) Compile a list of all passengers and crew members on the same flight with the patient, including detailed information such as name, age, nationality, itinerary, destination address, and phone number, and require passengers to comply with health monitoring and supervision at their destination.

c) Send the above list to the Center for Preventive Medicine and HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control.

d) For aircraft carrying patients, require the vehicle owner to implement medical measures according to regulations before allowing the vehicle back into service.

l.2.4. One to two medical quarantine officers stationed at the airport to carry out pest control, disinfection, and other medical measures as directed.

2. Regarding corpses, bones, and ashes

2.1. Entry

2.1.1. For corpses:

Medical quarantine officers shall check the "health quarantine declaration form for corpses, ashes, and bones" issued according to Decision No. 171/2003/QĐ-BYT dated January 13, 2003, of the Minister of Health regarding the insignia, uniforms, flags, cards, and eleven forms used in the border health quarantine system of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, examine the death certificate, health quarantine certificate from the country of origin, and inspect the actual condition of the coffin to determine and handle as follows:

a) In case of corpses of individuals who died from infectious diseases causing epidemics, they must be cremated or buried. If the coffin is cracked or broken, it must be treated on-site to prevent disease spread before transportation to the cremation or burial site. The transportation of corpses to the cremation or burial site shall be carried out as follows:

- Disinfect the coffin and the surrounding area with chemicals before transportation to the cremation or burial site, transport using a specialized vehicle; if not available, another vehicle may be used but it must be sealed and meet infection prevention requirements, the driver must wear protective gear as prescribed, and the transport vehicle must be sanitized and disinfected both before and immediately after transporting the corpse with common disinfectants.

- Upon arrival at the cremation or burial site, leave the coffin intact and proceed with cremation or burial. If burial, the surrounding area of the coffin must be disinfected with chloramine T or B or lime powder before covering with soil. Individuals handling the burial must wear full medical protective equipment.

b) For corpses of individuals who did not die from infectious diseases causing epidemics, inspect the preservation method of the corpse. If it meets the standards (the corpse is placed in a three-layer coffin, the inner layer made of zinc lined with moisture-absorbing material, the middle layer made of wood, and the outer layer made of plywood), issue a health quarantine certificate for entry. If it does not meet the standards, require the responsible party to follow the regulations before issuing a health quarantine certificate for entry.

2.1.2As for bones and ashes:

Medical quarantine officers shall check the "health quarantine declaration form for corpses, ashes, and bones," the health quarantine certificate from the country of origin, and inspect the actual preservation method (bones wrapped in two layers of plastic bags, then in a cloth bag, and finally in a wooden box, ashes stored in a sealed container). After checking and ensuring compliance with the aforementioned preservation standards, the border health quarantine authority shall issue a health quarantine certificate for entry. If the standards are not met, require the responsible party to follow the regulations before issuing a health quarantine certificate for entry.

2.2. Exit

2.2.1. The border health quarantine authority will not process exit procedures for corpses of individuals who died from infectious diseases causing epidemics.

2.2.2. For corpses of individuals who died from other causes, bones, and ashes, after verifying that the preservation methods comply with regulations, the border health quarantine authority shall issue a health quarantine certificate for exit.

III. HEALTH QUARANTINE PROCEDURES FOR LAND TRANSPORTATION

1. At the entry point

1.1. Staffing

Depending on the actual situation at the border gate, arrange the number of medical quarantine officers to ensure the full implementation of health quarantine functions according to the Regulations on Border Health Quarantine of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

l.2. At the entry vehicle checkpoint

Medical quarantine officers shall check the "health quarantine declaration form for inbound and outbound conveyances," and may ask the conveyance owner or driver for necessary information to determine and handle as follows:

1.2.1. The border health quarantine authority shall take the following measures when conveyances come from areas where infectious diseases subject to health quarantine are circulating or occurring, or show signs of suspected infectious diseases, have hosts or vectors of infectious diseases, or do not meet hygiene standards:

a) Guide the conveyance owner to move the conveyance to a designated area for health quarantine measures.

b) Directly board the conveyance to inspect; if hygiene standards are not met or signs of hosts or vectors of infectious diseases are found, the border health quarantine authority shall implement medical measures, issue a health quarantine certificate, and proceed with entry formalities only after these measures are completed.

1.2.2. The border health quarantine authority shall issue a health quarantine certificate for entry when conveyances do not come from areas where infectious diseases subject to health quarantine are circulating or occurring, do not show signs of suspected infectious diseases, do not have disease-transmitting vectors, and meet hygiene standards.

1.3. At the passenger entry checkpoint

Medical quarantine officers shall check vaccination certificates (as prescribed by the Ministry of Health), observe the physical condition of incoming passengers, and if there are signs of illness, transfer suspected patients to the quarantine room at the border gate for examination.

1.4. Measures for handling patients, conveyances, and accompanying persons

A medical quarantine officer, who is a clinical doctor, shall be on duty at the quarantine room at the border gate to examine suspected patients. If a patient is found to have an infectious disease requiring health quarantine, notify the duty supervisor to proceed with the following actions:

1.4.1. Transport patients to the isolation treatment area using specialized motor vehicles for monitoring and treatment.

1.4.2. Prepare a list containing detailed information including name, age, nationality, travel itinerary, destination address, and phone number of individuals traveling with the patient on the transport vehicle, and require passengers to comply with health surveillance at the destination.

1.4.3. Send the above list to the Center for Preventive Medicine and HIV/AIDS Prevention.

1.4.4. Implement medical measures for the vehicle transporting the patient according to new regulations before putting it back into service.

2. At the departure area

Health quarantine officers observe the physical condition of passengers to identify suspected cases of illness. Upon identifying suspected cases, the health quarantine officers will transfer such individuals to the medical isolation room at the border gate for examination and diagnosis. If the individual is found to have a communicable disease, they will not be allowed to depart and will be transferred to the designated treatment area, while simultaneously reporting detailed information about the patient to the Center for Preventive Medicine and HIV/AIDS Prevention via the fastest communication methods..

3. For corpses, bones, ashes

3.1. The health quarantine authority does not process departure or entry procedures for corpses of those who died from infectious diseases causing epidemics.

3.2. For corpses of those who died from other causes and bones, ashes, the health quarantine authority implements the quarantine procedures as for air transportation quarantine.

IV. QUARANTINE PROCEDURES FOR RAILWAY TRANSPORT

1. At the entry point

1.1. Staffing

The health quarantine authority contacts the station master to obtain information on the arrival time and schedule of trains to proactively arrange the number of health quarantine officers to ensure the implementation of quarantine procedures.

1.2. Procedures for vehicles

Health quarantine officers conduct checks on the "departure and entry health declaration form for trains" and ask the train conductor to provide necessary additional information when the train stops at the first stop within Vietnam's territory to determine and handle as follows:

1.2.1. For passenger trains, health quarantine officers board the train for inspection. When signs of unsanitary conditions or carriers and vectors of communicable diseases are detected, health quarantine officers will implement medical measures before issuing a health quarantine certificate.

1.2.2. For cargo trains coming from areas where communicable diseases are circulating or occurring, or showing signs of carriers and vectors of communicable diseases, health quarantine officers will follow the procedures for passenger train quarantine. For cargo trains not coming from such areas, health quarantine officers issue a health quarantine certificate without boarding the train for inspection.

1.3. Measures for patients, vehicles, and individuals accompanying patients

Measures for patients, vehicles, and individuals accompanying patients are implemented according to the provisions of Section III, Clause 2, Point 1.4 of this procedure.

2. At the departure area

The quarantine procedures are carried out according to the provisions of Section III, Clause 2 of this procedure.

3. For corpses, bones, ashes

The quarantine procedures are carried out according to the provisions of Section III, Clause 3 of this procedure.

V. QUARANTINE PROCEDURES FOR WATERWAY TRANSPORT

1. Staff allocation

The health quarantine authority contacts the port authority to obtain information on the arrival time and schedule of vessels, and the number of vessels arriving to proactively allocate the number of health quarantine officers to ensure the implementation of quarantine procedures.

2. Implementation procedures

2.1. For vessels and incoming passengers.

Health quarantine officers receive the health declaration form for vessels via fax, email, or telex, and check the form to know the vessel's journey, the health status of passengers and crew, and handle as follows:

2.1.1. For passenger vessels, health quarantine officers board the vessel with necessary medical equipment to conduct health inspections. y If there are individuals with communicable diseases or suspected cases thereof (referred to as patients), carriers and vectors of communicable diseases, unsanitary conditions, or unsafe food and water supplies, health quarantine officers will take the following actions: y carry out the following contents:

a) Health quarantine officers request the transport vehicle owner to move the vehicle to the quarantine area. After implementing medical measures according to regulations, they issue a health quarantine certificate and continue with the entry procedures.

b) Health quarantine officers transfer patients to the designated medical isolation area.

c) Health quarantine officers prepare a list containing detailed information including name, age, nationality, travel itinerary, destination address, and phone number of individuals traveling with the patient on the vessel and require passengers to comply with health surveillance at the destination.

d) The health quarantine border authority sends the above list to the Center for Preventive Medicine and HIV/AIDS Prevention.

2.1.2. For other vessels coming from areas where communicable diseases are circulating or occurring, or showing signs of communicable diseases, carriers and vectors of communicable diseases, unsanitary conditions, or unsafe food and water supplies, the procedures are the same as for passenger vessels.

2.1.3. For vessels not coming from areas where communicable diseases are circulating or occurring, without signs of communicable diseases, carriers and vectors of communicable diseases, and ensuring general hygiene and safe food and water supplies, the health quarantine authority does not need to board the vessel for inspection but issues a health quarantine certificate and continues with the entry procedures.

2.2. For departing vessels, health quarantine officers check the health declaration form for departing and entering vessels. If signs of communicable diseases, carriers and vectors of communicable diseases are detected, health quarantine officers will implement medical measures according to regulations before issuing a health quarantine certificate for departure.

2.3. For vessels transferring ports

Health quarantine agencies at intermediate ports along the vessel's journey shall only check the health quarantine certificate from the first port to monitor and supervise the vessel during its stay at the port. The health quarantine agency at the final port shall issue an exit health certificate based on the health quarantine certificate from the first port and the actual inspection results of the vessel.

2.4. For vessels transiting.

The health quarantine agency shall obtain information about the vessel's journey from the port authority. If the vessel is transiting Vietnam, it does not need to undergo health quarantine procedures. In case of any unusual medical situations, the health quarantine agency shall implement quarantine measures as for vessels entering or exiting the country.

3. For corpses, bones, ashes

The health quarantine process shall be carried out according to the provisions set forth in Section III, Clause 3 of this procedure.

VI. HEALTH QUARANTINE PROCEDURES FOR SPECIAL PRODUCTS

Special products include blood and blood products, tissues, human organs, medical bacteria, and medical viruses used for disease prevention, treatment, diagnosis, and research.

Health quarantine officers shall inspect the health quarantine declaration form, import-export goods declaration form, special product import-export permit issued by relevant departments of the Ministry of Health, packaging specifications, storage conditions, quantity, and types to determine and handle as follows:

1. Health quarantine officers shall issue a health quarantine certificate when special products for export or import have all required documentation and meet the packaging and storage conditions specified above.

2. The border health quarantine agency shall seek advice from competent authorities to handle cases where special products for export or import lack complete required documentation, fail to meet storage conditions, or do not match the permitted quantities and types as specified above.

VII. MONITORING PROCEDURES AT BORDER GATES FOR PERSONS AND PRODUCTION AND SERVICE FACILITIES FOR EXPORT AND IMPORT GOODS AND PERSONNEL

1. For persons

The border health quarantine agency shall monitor the health of individuals frequently crossing the border, sellers, and food processors serving passengers at border gates:

1.1. The border health quarantine agency shall require infected patients and carriers of infectious pathogens to temporarily stop working at the border gate and apply treatment measures when infectious diseases causing epidemics are detected. They may resume work only after recovery.

1.2. The border health quarantine agency shall require individuals with infectious diseases and carriers of infectious pathogens who have not recovered to switch to other suitable jobs.

2. For production and service facilities

2.1. The border health quarantine agency shall periodically or randomly inspect hygiene standards, food safety, and potable water quality at restaurants, hotels, production and processing facilities, sales and service providers for personnel and passengers at border areas, and take appropriate health measures based on specific circumstances or the degree of violation.

2.2. The border health quarantine agency shall periodically or randomly monitor rodents, mosquitoes, and fleas at border gates and warehouses. When rodent, flea, or mosquito levels exceed specified limits, the agency shall request the border gate management agency to address the situation according to the requirements of the health quarantine agency.

2.3. The border health quarantine agency shall regularly inspect and urge the maintenance of hygiene in border gate areas, terminals, airports, and seaports. It shall monitor the collection, transportation, and disposal of waste from border gate areas and transport vehicles in compliance with regulations. It shall cooperate with relevant agencies to handle organizations and individuals violating the law according to legal provisions.