Decision No. 243/2005/QĐ-TTg Issuing the Action Program of the Government to Implement Resolution No. 46/NQ-TW dated February 23, 2005 of the Politburo on Health Care, Medical Services, and Improvement of People's Health in the New Situation

DECISION OF THE PRIME MINISTER

Issuing the Program of Action of the Government to implement Resolution No. 46/NQ-TW dated February 23, 2005 of the Politburo on health care work for the people in the new situation Improving and enhancing health

 

PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the Government dated December 25, 2001;

Pursuant to Resolution No. 46/NQ-TW dated February 23, 2005 of the Politburo on health care work for the people in the new situation;

Considering the proposal of the Minister of Health,

DECISION:

Article 1. This Decision promulgates the Program of Action of the Government to implement Resolution No. 46/NQ-TW dated February 23, 2005 of the Politburo on health care work for the people in the new situation.

Article 2. This Decision takes effect fifteen days from the date of publication in the Official Gazette.

Article 3. The Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Heads of agencies under the Government, Chairpersons of People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities shall be responsible for implementing this Decision. The Ministry of Health shall be responsible for monitoring and periodically reporting to the Prime Minister on the implementation of this Program of Action/.

PROGRAM OF ACTION OF THE GOVERNMENT

 

To implement Resolution No. 46/NQ-TW dated February 23, 2005 of the Politburo

On health care work for the people in the new situation

(Issued together with Decision No. 243/2005/QĐ-TTg dated October 5, 2005)

of the Prime Minister)

I. OBJECTIVES

On February 23, 2005, the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam adopted Resolution No. 46/NQ-TW on health care work for the people in the new situation. This is a very important resolution for the entire Party and the whole people, serving as a guideline for developing health care work for the people in line with the new situation.

1. General objectives

The goal of this Program of Action is to concretize tasks and solutions to effectively implement the contents of Resolution No. 46/NQ-TW; clearly define and assign responsibilities of ministries, sectors, and People's Committees at all levels in organizing its implementation; bring the Party's resolutions into life, creating a clear change in health care work for the people, consolidating and developing a comprehensive health care system from central to grassroots levels. The ultimate goal is to reduce the incidence of disease, disability, and mortality, improve health, increase life expectancy, enhance the quality of the population, contribute to improving the quality of life, the quality of human resources, meet the requirements of industrialization and modernization, building and defending the country.

2. Specific objectives

a) General health indicators to be achieved by 2010:

- Average life expectancy increases to over 72 years.

- Maternal mortality rate decreases to below 70/100,000 live births.

- Infant mortality rate under one year old decreases to below 16% of live births.

- Child mortality rate under five years old decreases to below 25% of live births.

- Prevalence of malnutrition among children under five years old decreases to below 20%.

b) Health service indicators by 2010

- Achieve a ratio of more than 7 doctors per 10,000 people.

- Achieve a ratio of more than 1 university-trained pharmacist per 10,000 people.

- Ensure that over 60% of medicines are produced domestically.

- Produce domestic medical equipment commonly used, meeting 60% of needs.

1. Propagate and educate to raise awareness and sense of responsibility among PPS officers and the community regarding EP and combating environmental crimes and violations of EP laws.

1. Strengthening communication work, raising awareness and responsibility for health care work for the people in the new situation

Organizing extensive dissemination and deep understanding of the Politburo's Resolution, the Government's Program of Action, the Party's policies and guidelines, and state laws on health care work for the people in the new situation.

Enhancing leadership and guidance by Party committees and authorities at all levels, especially at the grassroots level, must recognize health care work for the people as one of the key political tasks; clearly defining responsibilities and supervising activities of various organizations and social groups in health care work for the people in each locality and unit.

Raising public awareness about health care work for the people. It is necessary to deeply understand the view that health is the most valuable asset of every individual, family, and society. Protecting, caring for, and enhancing health is the duty of every citizen, every family, and community, the responsibility of Party committees, authorities, mass organizations, and social organizations; contributing to ensuring human resources for the construction and defense of the country, one of the top priorities of the Party and State. Investment in health care work must be considered as investment in development, reflecting the fine nature of the regime.

The medical profession is a special profession that requires special selection, training, employment, and remuneration. Each medical staff member must continuously improve their professional ethics and expertise, worthy of the trust and honor bestowed by society, and fulfill the teachings of President Ho Chi Minh: "Medical professionals should be like mothers."

Diversifying communication methods to encourage the public to actively participate in health care activities such as hygiene campaigns, physical exercise, disease prevention, social evil prevention, limiting harmful habits, promoting civilized and healthy lifestyles, creating a nationwide movement "All for Health."

2. Reforming and perfecting the Vietnamese healthcare system towards equity, efficiency, and development

a) Developing a plan for the development of the healthcare system

Building and developing the Vietnamese healthcare system towards increased socialization, with public healthcare playing a leading role, capable of basically addressing the needs for health care, protection, and enhancement of the people's health in each period with high professional techniques; ensuring fairness and effectiveness in diagnosis and treatment, rehabilitation, prevention, and enhancement of the people's health.

The State will uniformly manage medical technical expertise throughout the country from central to local levels, including both public and private healthcare.

Public healthcare, established and owned by the State, managed, operated, and developed to serve all strata of the people in the field of health care, protection, and enhancement of health, particularly serving the poor, low-income individuals, children under six years old, and beneficiaries of social welfare policies.

On the basis of the Private Medical Practice Ordinance, the State creates conditions and encourages the development of private healthcare facilities. Individuals or private organizations are permitted to register to establish medical practice facilities, particularly general and specialized private hospitals in cities and towns, and multi-disciplinary clinics in densely populated areas and regions far from public healthcare facilities. By 2010, all provinces and major cities will have private hospitals. Existing private clinics are encouraged to upgrade to multi-disciplinary or specialized clinics, ensuring professional quality as stipulated by the Ministry of Health. By 2020, most provinces will have private hospitals.

Encourage the development of health advisory centers; develop the "Family Doctor" model, initially implemented in major cities to meet community health care needs, while fostering healthy competition among healthcare facilities. Implement health check-ups and treatment for individuals with health insurance cards at private healthcare facilities according to Decree No. 63/2005/NĐ-CP dated May 16, 2005 of the Government on the Health Insurance Regulations.

Develop private nursing homes, focusing on health care and functional recovery for the elderly and disabled.

The State creates conditions for the development of joint venture and foreign-linked hospitals, and develops fully foreign-owned hospitals.

b) Develop and improve the preventive healthcare network

Develop the preventive healthcare network comprehensively and reasonably to meet the increasingly high demands of the people in disease prevention; ensure that preventive healthcare facilities have the necessary conditions and capabilities to effectively perform their professional tasks in new circumstances.

Continue to develop central-level preventive healthcare units with leading functions in the field of preventive healthcare nationwide or regionally. Upgrade biosafety laboratories at the Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology and regional institutes such as the Ho Chi Minh City Pasteur Institute, Nha Trang Pasteur Institute, and West Vietnam Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology to international standard level 3 by 2010. By 2020, there should be at least one biosafety laboratory in Vietnam reaching international standard level 4 at the Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology.

By 2010, invest in upgrading 100% of provincial-level preventive healthcare center laboratories to biosafety level 1 standards. All centrally-administered provinces and cities must establish HIV/AIDS prevention, control, and surveillance centers based on existing units currently handling HIV/AIDS prevention work within current preventive healthcare centers.

By the end of 2005, complete the establishment of district-level preventive healthcare centers managed and directed by the Department of Health to effectively carry out district-level preventive healthcare work. By 2010, district-level preventive healthcare centers must have at least epidemiology departments, HIV/AIDS prevention and control departments, and social disease prevention and control departments.

Focus on implementing disease prevention and control work; HIV/AIDS prevention and control; consolidate and develop school health services.

Improve the state management machinery for food safety from central to local levels. By 2010, all provincial and city preventive healthcare centers must have food safety departments, and district-level preventive healthcare centers must have food safety departments.

Build and develop a food safety testing system within the healthcare sector. By 2010, there will be five food safety testing centers (one national center in Hanoi and four regional centers located in: Nha Trang Pasteur Institute, Ho Chi Minh City Public Health Institute, West Vietnam Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, and Can Tho City).

The Ministry of Health will coordinate with relevant ministries and sectors to build and submit to the Prime Minister the "National Action Plan for Ensuring Food Safety until 2010" to establish and maintain a safe food market serving domestic consumers and exports, implementing WTO agreements on food safety and phytosanitary measures (SPS) and technical barriers to trade (TBT) during the accession process. Study and propose to the Government appropriate organizational models for state management of medicines and cosmetics, and food.

Evaluate the effectiveness of the National Target Program for the payment of certain social diseases, dangerous epidemics, and HIV/AIDS for the period 2001-2005, and on this basis, study expanding and continuing to implement effectively the National Health Target Program for the period 2006-2010.

Enhance the role and effectiveness of the military-civilian healthcare program in protecting, caring for, and improving the health of the people and armed forces, especially in remote, border, and island areas. Incorporate the military-civilian healthcare program into the National Health Target Program. Improve organizational structure, clearly define responsibilities, and have a strong core force to fulfill leadership and implementation functions of the military-civilian healthcare program.

c) Consolidate, improve the network, and enhance the quality of health examinations and treatments

Develop a nationwide, regional, and local health examination and treatment network plan consistent with new socio-economic development trends. Consolidate and reorganize the public health examination and treatment network according to residential clusters; specify professional technical levels and strictly regulate transfers between levels. Standardize regular equipment and techniques, effectively utilize and fully exploit medical equipment for diagnosis and treatment.

Strengthen and intensify rehabilitation activities, prevent complications; prioritize investment in upgrading county-level health examination and treatment facilities to facilitate residents' access to health care when needed.

Develop private health examination and treatment facilities, particularly private general and specialized hospitals and clinics, to contribute to enhancing the protection, care, and improvement of the people's health in new circumstances.

Parallel to consolidating and improving the primary healthcare network, priority shall be given to investing in the development of high-tech healthcare services to reach the technical expertise level of advanced countries in the region, thereby meeting the increasingly diverse and higher demands for medical examination and treatment. Special attention shall be paid to providing medical examination and treatment services to the poor and ethnic minority groups to contribute to ensuring fairness in health care.

Continue to prioritize investment in developing and effectively utilizing three specialized medical centers in Hanoi, Hue-Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City. By 2010, these specialized medical centers shall have sufficient facilities, equipment, and staff at the technical expertise level of advanced countries in the region. Mechanisms shall be established to enable these centers to develop high-tech techniques to attract foreign patients to Vietnam for treatment or to combine tourism with medical treatment.

Prepare the necessary conditions regarding infrastructure and human resources to establish a specialized medical center in Can Tho City as soon as possible.

Establish new specialized hospitals leading in infectious diseases, dermatology, geriatrics, and cardiology.

Construct regional medical centers in Son La, Thai Nguyen, Haiphong, Nam Dinh, Nghe An, Binh Dinh, Khanh Hoa, Dak Lak, Kien Giang, and Tien Giang. Regional general hospitals shall be constructed and developed comprehensively, reaching the standard of Class I hospitals with the highest professional skills in the region, ensuring their capability to effectively address the medical examination and treatment needs of the local population with high quality.

Develop a plan to consolidate and improve provincial general hospitals during the period from 2006 to 2010 so that these hospitals have the capacity to fulfill their tasks of protecting and caring for the health of the local population.

Effectively implement the plan to consolidate and upgrade district-level hospitals during the period from 2005 to 2008 so that these hospitals can effectively perform their tasks of protecting, caring for, and enhancing the health of the local population.

Achieve the target of 20.5 hospital beds per 10,000 people by 2010 (including 10% private hospital beds) and 25 hospital beds per 10,000 people by 2020 (including 20% private hospital beds).

d) Develop the primary healthcare network

Continue to consolidate and improve the primary healthcare network in terms of infrastructure, equipment, and healthcare personnel to enhance the quality of primary healthcare services, meeting the basic health care needs of the entire population, particularly those of the poor.

Consolidate the organization, network, and professional activities of commune health stations. By 2010, all communes and wards shall have permanent health stations suitable for economic, geographic, ecological environmental conditions, and the medical examination and treatment needs of the local population.

Ensure that 80% of communes have doctors, including 100% of plains communes and 60% of mountainous communes.

Strive to achieve the national standard for commune health by the end of 2010 in 75% of communes nationwide.

3. Enhance the health of the population

a) Build Cultural Health Villages: Vigorously develop hygiene and disease prevention movements; incorporate health criteria into the Cultural Health Village program. Strengthen communication and education to raise awareness among authorities, departments, mass organizations, and various strata of the population about the purpose, significance, and content of the Cultural Health Village movement. By 2010, 80% of villages, hamlets, and residential areas shall meet the health criteria in the Cultural Health Village movement.

b) Strengthen physical exercise and sports: Promote the movement of physical fitness and sports training. Leverage the role of health communication and education to increase knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral changes among individuals so that this activity becomes a common and regular practice in the community.

c) Foster healthy lifestyles and ensure community safety: Equip each individual, family, and community with knowledge and skills to proactively build civilized lifestyles, reduce harmful habits such as drinking alcohol, smoking, and not adhering to labor safety and traffic safety regulations.

Actively and effectively implement programs to prevent and control the harm caused by tobacco; programs to prevent and control accidents and injuries. Develop plans to prevent and control the harm caused by alcohol and beer on health.

Strictly prohibit advertising for tobacco, strong alcohol, and other harmful stimulants.

d) Environmental health: Strengthen management work to protect the environment. Direct, guide, mobilize, and organize the public's participation in activities to improve living and working environments.

đ) Care for the health of priority groups: Strengthen educational, protective, and health care activities in schools to provide initial health care for students and college students. Care for and protect the health of mothers and children, reproductive health, adolescent reproductive health, and the health of the elderly.

e) Rational nutrition and food safety: Reform and strengthen state management agencies for food safety. Diversify communication methods to raise awareness and encourage greater community involvement in food safety management. By 2010, 90% of food producers, 80% of food traders, 100% of managers, and 80% of consumers shall have correct understanding and practice of food safety.

Closely link the establishment of exemplary models for ensuring food safety with the whole-of-the-community movement to build a civilized lifestyle. Widen the dissemination of exemplary cases of ensuring street food safety, especially in large cities. By 2010, 70% of wards and communes in special-class, first-class, and second-class cities shall meet the standards for ensuring street food safety.

4. Research, inherit, preserve, and develop traditional medicine

Establish the Planning Scheme for the Network of Traditional Vietnamese Medicine to serve as the basis for investment in development and improvement of the network. Rapidly develop the Vietnam Academy of Traditional Medicine. Establish a hospital combining traditional medicine and modern medicine with a scale of 300 beds as the practical base for the Vietnam Academy of Traditional Medicine.

Establish the University of Traditional Medicine under Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy during the period from 2010 to 2020, in conjunction with expanding the Ho Chi Minh City Institute of Traditional Medicine after 2010 to serve as the internship base for students.

Consolidate and modernize the Central Traditional Medicine Hospital and the Acupuncture Hospital in Hanoi to meet the standards of a first-class hospital to perform the leading role in traditional medicine.

Develop traditional medicine hospitals in provinces and centrally administered cities. All multi-disciplinary hospitals at all levels should have departments of traditional medicine. Health stations at commune and ward levels should have dedicated or part-time staff to diagnose and treat patients using traditional medicine.

Promote research, inheritance, conservation, and development of traditional medicine into a specialized scientific field. Expand areas for growing medicinal herbs, processing, and producing medicines. Establish and develop traditional medicine departments at universities, colleges, and health schools nationwide to meet the shortage of human resources in traditional medicine work.

5. Develop Human Resources

Develop balanced and reasonable medical human resources. Ensure basic targets are met: over 7 doctors per 10,000 people by 2010 and over 8 doctors per 10,000 people by 2020; 1 university-level pharmacist per 10,000 people by 2010 and 1.5 pharmacists per 10,000 people by 2020, with at least 1 to 3 university-level pharmacists in each district. Ensure the structure of medical personnel at healthcare facilities is 3.5 nurses per doctor. Develop high-level medical talent and postgraduate medical personnel to supply healthcare facilities.

Build and promulgate the Planning Scheme for the Network of Medical Training Institutions; reasonable standards, quotas, and structures of medical personnel to improve the quality and efficiency of health care activities. Reorganize, expand, and upgrade training institutions to meet the demand for quantity and quality of medical personnel in line with the development plan for the healthcare sector. Invest in infrastructure, equipment, and a faculty capable of training to meet the rapid increase in quantity and quality of university-level pharmacists, nurses, and midwives. Ensure a balanced structure of medical personnel to enhance the effectiveness of health protection, care, and improvement of the population's health.

Build two medical training centers in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City on par with advanced countries in the region. Establish operational mechanisms suitable for these centers to link training with some foreign universities in their fields of expertise and healthcare management.

Develop plans to upgrade most secondary medical and pharmaceutical schools in provinces and cities to college level.

Vigorously implement training of pharmaceutical personnel through various forms: long-term and short-term; joint training programs to meet the quantity and quality requirements for pharmaceutical personnel in public health institutions and pharmaceutical enterprises. Open short-term courses on management for medical personnel, especially hospital managers in new situations.

Develop proposals for training high-level talent and advanced techniques for provincial and central-level healthcare service providers.

Develop proposals for selective training for children of ethnic minorities in the northern mountainous region, central region, and Mekong Delta. Provincial People's Committees in the northern mountainous region, central region, and Mekong Delta are responsible for providing sources of children of ethnic minorities so that these groups can meet the conditions for appropriate training according to needs and levels.

Continue to organize and implement the selective training program well for the Central Highlands region.

Develop and propose policies for selecting, training, utilizing, and rewarding talent in the healthcare sector. Vigorously send medical personnel abroad for advanced training using state funds, foreign aid; encourage self-funding for training.

Develop and propose preferential policies for medical personnel, particularly grassroots medical personnel, working in mountainous, remote, and difficult regions, border areas, and islands. Develop and implement plans for rotating personnel, mandatory service terms for newly graduated doctors in mountainous, remote, and difficult regions. Ensure appropriate allowances and rewards for personnel sent to strengthen lower-level facilities.

Develop and promulgate appropriate allowances for medical personnel equivalent to those in education because the medical profession is special and requires special selection, training, utilization, and rewards.

Implement social insurance and health insurance systems for medical personnel working at commune health stations. Develop mechanisms for applying insurance systems for cases of occupational accidents occurring while performing duties.

6. Production, Supply of Medicines, Vaccines, and Medical Products

Build and develop the pharmaceutical industry into a leading economic and technical sector towards industrialization, specialization, and modernization; enhance domestic production capacity, actively integrate regionally and globally, prioritize high-tech formulations, ensuring adequate and quality essential drug supplies, rational and safe drug use, meeting the needs for protecting and caring for public health.

By 2010, ensure domestic production and supply of at least 60% of the quality drug needs for disease prevention and treatment for the population, including 20% traditional medicine drugs, with average per capita drug consumption reaching 12-15 USD/year. First, invest deeply, upgrade domestic drug production facilities, strengthen international cooperation to access modern and advanced world technology.

Study and produce vaccines and medical products towards modernization, using new technology, enhancing domestic production capacity to meet sufficient demand for essential quality vaccines and medical products for the people. Ensure production to supply ten types of vaccines for the National Expanded Immunization Program, some of which have export potential; at the same time, provide at least 50% of the demand for other types of vaccines and medical products for the domestic market.

Diversify forms of vaccine and medical product production and business, with state-owned enterprises as the core. Encourage private and foreign investment in this field.

By 2010, all Vietnamese pharmaceutical, vaccine, and medical product manufacturing facilities will meet Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), Good Laboratory Practice (GLP), and Good Storage Practice (GSP) standards set by the World Health Organization.

7. Equipment and application of science and technology in healthcare

Develop the medical equipment industry towards modernization. Strengthen research, access, and application of advanced scientific and technological achievements and international cooperation in the development of the medical equipment industry. Gradually improve product quality and expand the range of medical equipment to serve domestic needs and eventually for export. By 2020, Vietnam's medical equipment will be on par with advanced countries in the region.

Train and develop human resources specialized in the medical equipment field, enhance training of staff with adequate professional skills, operational capabilities, and maintenance of modern equipment to ensure long-term use and maximize equipment utilization.

In addition to investing in upgrading and developing a universal healthcare network to protect, care for, and improve the health of the majority of the population, it is necessary to develop high-level science and technology and applied sciences at central, regional, and provincial healthcare facilities to address most diseases requiring advanced diagnostic and treatment techniques.

Gradually modernize diagnostic imaging, biochemical, physiological, immunological, genetic, and molecular biology techniques. Apply advanced techniques and technologies in cardiology, orthopedics, microsurgery, organ replacement, and transplantation. Establish standard laboratories and quality control centers for food safety in key regions.

Develop biotechnology, particularly gene technology, breeding, and tissue culture technology to serve drug production, vaccine production, and biological preparations for diagnosis and treatment. Develop automation technology in medical equipment production, hospital waste processing, and hospital management.

Strengthen health information work, apply information software, consolidate statistical reporting systems, and provide timely and reliable information for management at all levels. Develop telemedicine technology for diagnosis and treatment.

8. Enhance leadership and guidance in healthcare work

a) Reform mechanisms and policies

Increase the proportion of public financial sources for healthcare (including state budget and health insurance), gradually reduce direct patient payment for hospital fees. Ensure that the annual increase in state budget spending on healthcare exceeds the overall annual increase in state budget spending; prioritizing investment in primary healthcare, poor areas, mountainous regions, remote areas, preventive healthcare, and focusing on developing high-tech healthcare.

Implement autonomy and responsibility for organizational structure, staffing, and finance for healthcare service units with revenue. For public healthcare facilities, financial autonomy should be implemented gradually, alongside ensuring support for the poor, social policy beneficiaries, and expanding health insurance coverage, aiming for universal health insurance by 2010.

Draft and promulgate a Decree adjusting hospital fees based on sufficient direct costs serving patients. Publicize income, fee levels at state-run healthcare facilities.

Encourage healthcare facilities to mobilize non-state budget capital for infrastructure development, equipment upgrades, and provision of healthcare services suitable for new requirements and tasks.

Encourage ministries and sectors to strengthen investment capital to improve diagnostic and treatment quality and functional recovery, ensuring a healthy working environment for workers.

Ensure the budget and organize well the examination and treatment of the poor, children under six years old, and social policy beneficiaries; establish assistance policies for low-income individuals (near-poor), ensuring fairness in healthcare.

Gradually shift regular state budget funding from direct allocation to healthcare facilities to direct support for service users.

Study and draft the Health Insurance Law. Organize the implementation of Government Decree No. 63/2005/NĐ-CP on the Health Insurance Regulations. Develop and implement a roadmap for universal health insurance by 2010. Diversify health insurance models, develop community-based health insurance models. Establish policies to subsidize part of the cost to encourage low-income individuals to participate in health insurance. Organize the provision of health insurance examination and treatment services; expand health insurance examination and treatment services to village health stations. Adjust health insurance premiums, increase the maximum reimbursement level, and promptly update the list of drugs and healthcare services covered by health insurance. Reform procedures and methods of payment to facilitate health insurance card holders in examination and treatment.

b) Enhance the effectiveness of state management

Promote administrative reform in the healthcare sector; improve the legal system for health care to be consistent with the country's economic and social development situation. Study and propose to the National Assembly the drafting of the Medical Examination and Treatment Law to protect the lives, health, and dignity of patients and medical staff during their duties; draft the Health Insurance Law; implement occupational risk insurance for medical staff when performing their duties.

Prepare necessary conditions in management, production, and provision of healthcare services to gradually meet the requirements of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and international treaties during globalization and international economic integration.

Improve the health inspection system, enhance the effectiveness of inspection activities to effectively manage the state by law. Draft and submit to the Government for promulgation a Decree on Health Inspection. Strengthen the health inspection workforce, ensuring that the number of health inspectors increases from 200 staff members (equivalent to 0.025 staff members per 10,000 people) currently to 400 staff members (equivalent to 0.05 staff members per 10,000 people) by 2010.

Enhance planning and financial management capabilities in various fields of healthcare activities. Continuously monitor, supervise, and evaluate the results of plan implementation. Clearly delegate management authority to different levels of healthcare and localities. Strengthen the management of healthcare service quality, strictly control and use healthcare public institution finances efficiently to ensure thrift and prevent waste.

Implement Resolution No. 05/2005/NQ-CP dated April 18, 2005 of the Government on accelerating socialization of education, healthcare, culture, and sports activities. Implement the Private Practice Ordinance, effectively manage the private healthcare system. Strengthen inspections and checks to ensure that non-public healthcare facilities operate according to legal regulations, especially prescription and drug sales rules. Encourage non-public healthcare facilities to participate in health insurance examination and treatment and humanitarian activities for health.

9. Strengthen international cooperation

Enhance multilateral and bilateral cooperation with international organizations, non-governmental organizations, international banking organizations, and governments that have supported or cooperated with Vietnam.

Establish mechanisms to effectively utilize foreign aid. Develop key investment projects to attract investment and develop regional healthcare, provincial and district healthcare, and each field of the healthcare sector at different stages of development.

Actively mobilize non-reimbursable aid to support examination and treatment for the poor, children, disabled persons, and prevention and control of dangerous diseases such as Tuberculosis, Malaria, HIV/AIDS, and newly emerging diseases.

Expand bilateral and multilateral cooperation in developing and applying advanced medical technologies.

Encourage assistance for policy development and scientific research in the healthcare sector.

Strengthen training of healthcare personnel in developed countries to absorb global advances in medical science.

Expand joint ventures and collaborations with foreign organizations and individuals to invest in various fields of the healthcare sector.

III. IMPLEMENTATION

1. Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government agencies, People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities shall be responsible for:

- Studying and understanding the contents of the Resolution and Action Program; concretizing the viewpoints and goals of this Resolution and Action Program in annual plans and five-year plans of ministries, sectors, and localities.

- Organizing the synchronous implementation of tasks, programs, projects, and initiatives approved by the Prime Minister.

- Local People's Committees at all levels shall submit to the People's Councils at the same level for allocation and arrangement of state budget funds for health protection and care activities, ensuring they are consistent with actual needs at the locality and align with the general direction and goals set out in Resolution No. 46/NQ-TW.

2. The Ministry of Health has the responsibility:

- Coordinate with the Central Committee for Science and Education, the Central Steering Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, relevant ministries, sectors, localities, and mass organizations to widely disseminate the contents of the Resolution of the Political Bureau and this Action Program.

- Draft and submit to the Prime Minister projects and initiatives as assigned by the Prime Minister.

- Monitor, urge, and inspect the implementation of this Program and report annually to the Prime Minister.

3. The Ministry of Planning and Investment shall take the lead, in coordination with the Ministry of Finance, to allocate sufficient capital for annual basic construction investment to strongly invest in upgrading and completing primary healthcare networks, preventive healthcare, provincial and district general hospitals, regional healthcare centers, and specialized healthcare centers.

4. The Ministry of Finance shall take the lead, in coordination with the Ministry of Health and related ministries and sectors, to innovate and perfect the healthcare financial policy towards increasing the proportion of funding from the state budget and health insurance; reducing direct patient payment for hospital fees, ensuring adequate funding for examination and treatment for war veterans, the poor, children under six years old, and other social policy beneficiaries.

5. The Ministry of Home Affairs shall take the lead, in coordination with the Ministry of Health and related agencies, to promptly complete proposals to strengthen the autonomy of hospitals; proposals to reform and improve the national management agency for pharmaceuticals and food safety, to be submitted to the Prime Minister in 2005.

6. The Ministry of Education and Training shall cooperate with the Ministry of Health to build some healthcare training centers on par with advanced countries in the region, increase the training of healthcare personnel through selection for mountainous areas and the Mekong Delta, expand sending healthcare personnel with high qualifications abroad for training using state budget funds.

7. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism shall cooperate with the Ministry of Health to intensify health education and communication campaigns through mass media. At the same time, coordinate with the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and the Ministry of Health to promote the implementation of the "Cultural and Health Village" movement in every village and commune.

8. The Ministry of National Defense shall cooperate with the Ministry of Health to promote the Military-Civilian Medical Integration Program in protecting, caring for, and improving the health of the people and armed forces.

9. The Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs shall cooperate with the Ministry of Health to develop and implement programs to prevent and control work-related accidents, care for and protect the health of workers; effectively carry out medical examinations and treatments for the poor; and efficiently operate detoxification and treatment centers for individuals involved in drug addiction and prostitution.

10. The Sports Committee shall closely cooperate with the Ministry of Health and relevant ministries and sectors to effectively organize the project: "Enhancing the Stature and Physical Fitness of Vietnamese People" and other activities contributing to improving the health of the Vietnamese population.

11. The Population, Family and Children Committee shall closely cooperate with the Ministry of Health to effectively organize medical examinations and treatments for children under six years old.

12. The Vietnam Social Security shall be responsible for implementing policies on health insurance to ensure the correct implementation of the roadmap towards universal health insurance coverage by 2010.

13. Provincial People's Committees directly under the central government shall have the responsibility to:

Direct and organize the comprehensive and effective implementation of the contents stipulated in the Resolution of the Politburo and this Action Program at their respective localities.

Complete the development of the provincial action program before October 31, 2005, to specifically implement the Resolution of the Politburo and the Government's Action Program.

Mobilize local resources, allocate budgets for health care and protection activities for the people within their provinces. Pay particular attention to planning work, where plans must be developed based on available resources and address specific health issues of the local population.

Develop appropriate mechanisms and policies according to each locality's conditions to establish a legal framework enabling organizations, collectives, and citizens to actively participate in health care and protection activities for the people in their areas.

Effectively organize guidance, inspection, supervision, and regular reporting to the Prime Minister on the results of health care activities in their localities.

Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, agencies under the Government, and Provincial People's Committees directly under the central government shall base themselves on this Government Action Program and the actual situation of each ministry, sector, and locality to immediately organize the implementation of the Politburo's Resolution on health care, protection, and improvement of the people's health in the new context./.