Vietnam's Healthcare Sector Advances with Technological Innovation and Network Integration

Vietnam now boasts a nationwide healthcare network with 1,665 hospitals, 384 of which are non-public, supported by local commune- and ward-level stations. At the end of 2024, hospital bed capacity reached 34 per 10,000 people, slightly above the global average. The CyberKnife S7 system, valued at nearly 200 billion VND (approximately 8 million USD), enables the treatment of tumours anywhere in the body without surgery, marking a major advance in non-invasive, highly precise cancer therapy. Health Minister Dao Hong Lan has recently signed an action plan to implement the Politburo and Government’s resolutions on scientific development, innovation and the national digital transformation. Under the new model, healthcare is organised into interconnected levels based on people's needs rather than administrative boundaries. Patients can move seamlessly between levels while their electronic health records and treatment information remain connected through digital platforms, referral systems, telemedicine, electronic medical records, and integrated health databases. A draft circular guiding the implementation of the National Target Programme on Health Care, Population and Development (2026-2035) marks a shift from focusing solely on elderly care to encouraging healthy and independent ageing through early preparation. It covers healthy lifestyles, regular health check-ups, financial planning, suitable employment and home-based elderly care skills. Aiming to ensure all citizens can access quality healthcare close to home, detect diseases earlier and improve quality of life amid rapid population aging, cities and provinces are adopting reforms to enhance healthcare capacity. Health insurance covered around 94.4 million patient visits during the January-June period, similar to the same period last year. Inpatient treatment accounted for 10.3% of total cases, slightly higher than in 2025. Since 1954, Vietnam Military Medical University has trained 687 Lao military medical personnel, including 322 doctors, 67 master's degree holders, 10 doctorate holders, and dozens of specialist physicians, alongside hundreds of pharmacists and medical technicians. As the first operation of its kind in Vietnam, the hospital spent months developing treatment protocols, studying international experience and assembling a multidisciplinary team that included experts in transplantation, andrology, microsurgery, anaesthesia, immunology and pathology. Vietnam's adjusted healthcare network master plan for 2021–2030, with a vision to 2050, also outlines a regional structure covering the country's six socio-economic regions. It envisages 17 provincial general hospitals serving regional functions, at least one highly specialised hospital in each region, and at least one advanced medical facility in every province and city. With the successful completion of its first multi-organ retrieval, Bai Chay hospital has become the third medical facility in Quang Ninh to perform the highly complex procedure in accordance with the national protocol. The achievement also highlights the profound humanitarian value of organ donation in society The visit's highlight was the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Hanoi Medical University and Sofia Medical University, creating a long-term framework for academic exchanges, scientific research and institutional cooperation between the two countries' leading medical schools. Hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City are providing free health checkups, medicines and counselling services for policy beneficiary families, people who rendered service to the nation and residents in former revolutionary bases to commemorate the 79th anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs' Day (July 27, 1947–2026). Over the past four decades of Doi moi (Renewal), Vietnam’s healthcare sector has made remarkable progress, and is now well positioned to achieve further breakthroughs by harnessing science, technology and innovation to improve public health care in the new era, according to experts from the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA). Vinmec Smart City Hospital in Hanoi announced it has successfully applied CAR-T cell therapy for the first time to treat a 28-year-old female patient suffering from systemic lupus erythematosus with severe kidney damage. According to the municipal Department of Health, as of July 20, a total of 732,873 residents had undergone periodic check-ups and had electronic health records established. The figure reflects encouraging initial results from the citywide campaign launched by the department and underscores local authorities' commitment to implementing one of the largest community healthcare programmes ever undertaken in the southern metropolis. The campaign, launched on July 16, aims to ensure that all residents receive health examinations, have electronic health records and benefit from continuous health management. The health condition of the last patient receiving treatment following the deadly boat capsize off the Phu Quoc special one in An Giang province has shown positive signs of improvement after three more days of intensive care, Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City said on July 16. Upon arrival at Cho Ray Hospital, the patient remained in critical condition. However, doctors reported encouraging signs, with both haemodynamic parameters and blood oxygen levels showing improvement. The surgery was completed in just 65 minutes, the shortest operation time among all heart transplants carried out at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy. The draft strategy aims to position Vietnam as a trusted healthcare destination in Southeast Asia by 2030 and eventually among Asia's leading medical tourism hubs. The plan marks a shift from viewing medical tourism as an untapped opportunity to making it a national development priority. Hospital Director Dr. Pham Thanh Viet said that immediately after receiving news of the accident, the hospital deployed doctors who had been working at Phu Quoc Hospital to Sun Group International Hospital to help provide emergency treatment and intensive care for two critically injured patients. The Ministry of Health and the French Embassy co-hosted the Vietnam–France High-Level Conference on next-generation vaccine technologies in Hanoi on July 9. Copyright, VietnamPlus, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) Editor-in-chief, Mr. Tran Tien Duan.