Circular No. 54/2025/TT-BYT guides the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of public traditional medicine hospitals under the provinces and cities.

CIRCULAR

Guidelines on the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of

public traditional medicine hospitals under provinces and cities

Pursuant to the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment No. 15/2023/QH15;

Pursuant to the Government Decree No. 42/2025/NĐ-CP dated February 27, 2025, stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Health;

Pursuant to the Government Decree No. 96/2023/NĐ-CP dated December 30, 2023, detailing certain provisions of the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment;

Pursuant to the Government Decree No. 150/2025/NĐ-CP dated June 12, 2025, stipulating the organization of specialized agencies under provincial People's Committees and city-level People's Committees directly under the central government, and district-level People's Committees, town-level People's Committees, and special administrative-economic zones under provincial and city-level People's Committees directly under the central government;

Pursuant to the Government Decree No. 120/2020/NĐ-CP dated October 7, 2020, regarding the establishment, restructuring, and dissolution of public service organizations which has been amended and supplemented by the Government Decree No. 283/2025/NĐ-CP;

At the proposal of the Director of the Department of Traditional Medicine and Pharmaceutical Administration;

The Minister of Health issues this Circular guiding the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of public traditional medicine hospitals under provinces and cities.

Article 1. Scope of Regulation

1. This Circular stipulates the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of public traditional medicine hospitals under provinces and cities (hereinafter referred to as traditional medicine hospitals under provinces).

2. Traditional medicine hospitals under ministries, sectors, and private traditional medicine hospitals may refer to and apply the guidelines set forth in this Circular.

Article 2. Functions

Traditional medicine hospitals under provinces have the following functions:

1. Medical examination, treatment, and rehabilitation.

2. Training and participating in training healthcare personnel.

3. Scientific research, applying and promoting modern science, technology, and techniques to serve medical examination, treatment, scientific research, and training of healthcare personnel.

4. Providing professional support, transferring techniques, transferring technology, and building and developing networks of traditional medicine.

5. Researching and proposing strategies and policies for the development of the healthcare system within their scope, functions, and assigned tasks.

6. Preventing diseases and disabilities; participating in disease prevention, epidemic control, natural disaster response, and disaster relief.

7. Processing and preparing traditional herbal medicines, traditional remedies, and traditional drugs.

Article 3. Tasks

1. Conducting medical examinations, treatments, and rehabilitation in accordance with the law, including:

a) Receiving patients for medical examinations, treatments, and rehabilitation;

b) Receiving emergency cases; conducting traditional and modern medical examinations and treatments within the approved scope of activities; conducting requested medical examinations and treatments; conducting health check-ups; conducting remote medical examinations and treatments; conducting mobile medical examinations and treatments, and other related activities;

c) Implementing the integration of traditional medicine with modern medicine in accordance with the law;

d) Performing other medical examination and treatment tasks as assigned, mobilized, or directed by competent authorities.

2. Training and participating in training healthcare personnel in accordance with the law, including:

a) Serving as a training institution for continuous medical education in the field of traditional medicine, including traditional pharmacy (hereinafter collectively referred to as traditional medicine), and combined traditional and modern medical examinations and treatments for domestic and foreign healthcare workers;

b) Serving as a practical training site for educational institutions in the health sector;

c) Cooperating with domestic and foreign partners to conduct research, exchange experiences, train, and provide human resources in traditional medicine.

3. Conducting scientific research and applying modern science, technology, and techniques in accordance with the law, including:

a) Applying science and technology to serve medical examinations, treatments, rehabilitation, disease prevention, training, and technology transfer in the field of traditional medicine;

b) Leading and participating in multi-level scientific research projects in the field of traditional medicine;

c) Organizing national and international scientific conferences; sending staff abroad for study and research; inviting foreign experts, receiving foreigners to study, exchange experiences, and learn at the hospital;

d) Implementing joint scientific research programs with domestic and foreign agencies, units, organizations, and individuals;

đ) Cooperating with relevant units to research the conservation of medicinal plants.

4. Providing professional support, transferring techniques, transferring technology, and building and developing networks of traditional medicine:

a) Serving as the advisory body for the Department of Health to direct professional and business operations, build and develop models, networks, and programs in the field of traditional medicine within the province;

b) Serving as the body to propose long-term, medium-term, and annual strategic plans and programs in the field of traditional medicine for approval by competent authorities and implementation according to assigned tasks;

c) Participating in drafting guidelines and technical procedures for medical examinations and treatments in the field of traditional medicine; compiling and issuing teaching materials and professional documents in the field of traditional medicine;

d) Receiving and implementing traditional and modern medical techniques and combined traditional and modern medical techniques in accordance with the law;

đ) Transferring and supporting professional techniques to other medical examination and treatment facilities according to directives and assignments from competent authorities and based on demand;

e) Cooperating with related units to direct the construction of traditional herb gardens in healthcare facilities and implement community health care activities using traditional medicine;

g) Monitoring and evaluating professional and business activities in the field of traditional medicine within the province according to assignments from competent authorities.

5. Researching and proposing strategies and policies

Investigating, surveying, assessing the current state of traditional medicine, and evaluating the implementation of traditional medicine strategies and policies within the province, reporting results to the Department of Health, and advising on and proposing solutions to develop the traditional medicine network in the province.

6. Disease prevention, disability prevention; participating in disease prevention, epidemic control, natural disaster response, and disaster relief

a) Closely cooperating with internal and external health sector agencies to carry out health communication, health education, disease prevention, accident and injury prevention, traffic accident prevention, occupational accident prevention, and household accident prevention;

b) Implementing disease prevention, epidemic control, and disaster aftermath mitigation tasks as directed by competent authorities.

7. Processing and preparing traditional herbal medicines, traditional remedies, and traditional drugs to supply medication to patients at the hospital and to other medical examination and treatment facilities, organizations, and individuals when meeting the conditions stipulated in Clause 1 and Clause 2 of Article 70 of the Drug Law and related regulations.

8. For traditional medicine hospitals classified as specialized hospitals, they must perform the tasks specified in Point c of Clause 1 of Article 104 of the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment.

9. Performing other tasks consistent with the hospital's functions as prescribed by law or as assigned and directed by competent authorities.

Article 4. Authority of hospitals

1. Hospitals have autonomy in organizing hospital activities within the scope of functions, tasks, and authorities assigned according to the provisions of the law.

2. Hospitals are entitled to enjoy preferential policies as prescribed by law.

3. Hospitals have the right to request relevant agencies and units to provide information and documents serving professional work and other tasks as prescribed by law.

4. Hospitals have the right to issue scientific conclusions as a legal basis for competent agencies to consider, handle, and apply in practice; they can propose solutions to implement traditional medicine strategies and policies to competent authorities at various levels.

5. Hospitals have the right to lodge complaints and denunciations according to the law on complaints and denunciations, and to initiate lawsuits against acts that infringe upon the rights and legitimate interests of hospitals and other rights as prescribed by law.

Article 5. Organizational Structure

1. There shall be specialized departments as prescribed in point b, Clause 4, Article 41 of Decree No. 96/2023/NĐ-CP dated December 30, 2023, of the Government detailing certain provisions of the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment.

2. There shall be administrative departments to perform functions related to general planning, human resources organization, quality management, nursing, financial accounting, information technology, medical equipment, social work, and other necessary functions.

The establishment of specialized departments as prescribed in Clauses 1 and 2 of this Article shall be implemented according to Article 6 of Decree No. 120/2020/NĐ-CP dated October 7, 2020, of the Government on the establishment, restructuring, and dissolution of public service units, which has been amended and supplemented by Decree No. 283/2025/NĐ-CP.

Article 6. Effective Date

1. This Circular takes effect from March 1, 2026.

2. Circular No. 37/2011/TT-BYT dated October 26, 2011, of the Minister of Health guiding the functions, tasks, authorities, and organizational structure of provincial traditional medicine hospitals ceases to be effective from the date this Circular takes effect.

Article 7. Transitional Provisions

Provincial traditional medicine hospitals continue to perform their functions, tasks, authorities, and organizational structures according to the approved documents before the effective date of this Circular, except where new approval documents for functions, tasks, authorities, and organizational structures are issued.

Article 8. Reference Provisions

In case the referenced documents in this Circular are replaced, amended, or supplemented, the replacement, amendment, or supplementation documents shall apply.

Article 9. Implementation

1. The People's Committee of the province shall be responsible for:

a) Implementing this Circular;

b) Based on relevant laws, local management delegation regulations, specific characteristics, needs, and conditions, defining the functions, tasks, authorities, and organizational structures of provincial traditional medicine hospitals in accordance with the guidance provided in this Circular.

2. The Department of Traditional Medicine Management under the Ministry of Health shall be responsible for coordinating with relevant Departments and Units under the Ministry of Health and related agencies to direct, guide, organize implementation, and inspect the implementation of the provisions of this Circular nationwide.

3. The Department of Health of provinces and centrally-administered cities shall be responsible for:

a) Directing, guiding, and inspecting the implementation of the provisions of this Circular;

b) Based on the capacity, professional technical scope, and needs of medical examination and treatment facilities in the locality, assigning traditional medicine hospitals to provide professional support and transfer techniques to medical examination and treatment facilities under their management.

During the implementation process, if there are difficulties or obstacles, they should report to the Ministry of Health (Department of Traditional Medicine Management) for consideration and resolution within its authority.