(VOVworld) – Since January 1, 2016, health insurance card holders have been able to receive treatment at any clinic and hospital at district or commune level within a province. In the past, a health insurance card was registered for one hospital and couldn’t be used at other hospitals. Le Thom comments on the new policy after one year of implementation:

Since the health insurance card was allowed at all clinics and hospitals at communes or district level within a province, people have had more options and health facilities have had to improve their services to receive more patients. Lower level health facilities have improved their staff and upgraded their equipment to provide better healthcare services.

People queue to register for health insurance service

Doctor Nguyen Ngoc Thanh, Head of the Private Medicine and Pharmacy Management Office of Da Nang City’s Health Department, says: “The policy to use insurance cards at commune and district hospitals has many advantages. Patients using health insurance cards have increased 10% to 20%. We have instructed hospitals to open more consulting rooms to reduce waiting time for patients.”

Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tuyen revealed measures to gain breakthrough improvement in health services: “We’ll reform local health facilities’ organization, financial mechanism, infrastructure, and personnel. We’ll improve primary and preventive healthcare services, build a patient database, and develop the family doctor model.”