From wartime origins to global recognition, Việt Nam’s health sector has undergone remarkable transformation since its founding in 1945. Created alongside the Provisional Government after the August Revolution, the Ministry of Health was tasked with safeguarding public well-being even amid resistance wars. Medical workers carried out surgeries in jungles, pioneered battlefield innovations, and helped sustain revolutionary forces. After reunification, the system expanded nationwide, prioritising preventive medicine through mass vaccination and health education. Today, Việt Nam operates over 1,700 hospitals and 12,800 contracted facilities, serving nearly 200 million patients annually. Digital technology now connects top hospitals with remote areas, while traditional medicine is integrated into modern care. Vietnamese doctors have mastered world-class procedures, including organ transplants, robotic-assisted surgeries, artificial heart implants, and stem cell therapies. The country has also achieved major disease-control milestones, eradicating smallpox, polio, neonatal tetanus, and most recently, trachoma in 2024. Health insurance coverage has surged to 93 per cent, with plans for universal free hospital care by 2035. Life expectancy has risen to nearly 74, while maternal and child health indicators have improved significantly. Moving forward, the health sector aims to boost grassroots care, strengthen training, and modernise infrastructure to ensure equitable access nationwide. (ICE HO CHI MINH CITY)

Fonte notizia: Vietnam News