Opportunities and challenges of the healthcare industry after merger

From the merger of two provinces, the health sector of An Giang province has expanded in scale, opening up many opportunities and challenges as people's demand for health care increases. Regarding the current state of the health system and solutions to improve the quality of medical examination and treatment, Associate Professor, Doctor, Doctor Tran Quang Hien (photo) - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Director of the Department of Health said:

The merger of the health sector of the two provinces not only aims to organize the apparatus but also is an opportunity to improve the regional health capacity, promote internal strengths, overcome limitations and shortcomings, thereby aiming to build a modern, fair, high-quality, effective and integrated health system. In the period of 2020 - 2025, the health sector has always received close attention and direction from Party committees and authorities, and professional support from the Ministry of Health . The grassroots health network has been consolidated and developed synchronously. The socialization of health care has achieved many positive results; the quality of medical examination and treatment services has improved. After the merger, An Giang has 407 health facilities, including 24 hospitals, with 13 public hospitals and 11 private hospitals; 26 health centers; 59 general clinics; 298 commune health stations. The ratio of hospital beds per 10,000 people reached 30.6, the ratio of doctors per 10,000 people reached 9.9; the rate of communes meeting health standards was over 96%.

The total number of medical examinations and treatments in the two provinces each year is about 8.5 million. The bed occupancy rate at medical facilities is 83% or higher. Modern techniques such as CT scan, MRI, gastrointestinal endoscopy, periodic blood filtration, and cancer screening have been deployed in many provincial hospitals, contributing to reducing the rate of referrals, saving costs for people, and improving local medical expertise.

However, the reality poses many major challenges to the health sector. That is the shortage of highly qualified medical personnel, especially at the grassroots level and in specialized fields such as psychiatry, tuberculosis, leprosy, and pathology. Facilities and equipment in many units have not been invested in synchronously, and are still in a state of degradation and backwardness, especially at medical stations in remote and isolated areas.

- Reporter: What are the opportunities and challenges for the health sector after the provincial merger, sir ?

- Doctor Tran Quang Hien: The merger of the health sector of the two provinces opens up new development space, comprehensive innovation momentum, creating new positions and strengths for the sector. In the context of the widespread fourth industrial revolution, the merger allows An Giang to access modern health management models more quickly, strengthen regional linkages, share data, train human resources and invest in equipment. This is also a "golden" opportunity for the province to innovate the organization and operation model of the health sector in a professional, effective and sustainable direction; gradually build a dynamic and creative local health image for the people's health; promote administrative reform, promote technology application, improve service quality and create momentum for sustainable development.

In addition to great opportunities, the health sector faces many difficulties, requiring political courage, strategic thinking and smooth coordination between levels and sectors. The main challenge is that the new organizational structure may lead to overlapping functions, fragmentation of responsibilities; differences in qualifications, scale and professional capacity between health facilities in the two provinces, requiring the sector to make efforts to synchronize, transfer techniques and standardize processes. The pressure to resolve previous backlogs such as lack of human resources, poor facilities, low vaccination rates, hospital overload, etc. will be placed on the newly merged apparatus.

- Reporter: What solutions does the health sector have to improve the quality of health care for the people?

- Doctor Tran Quang Hien: To overcome and turn challenges into development motivation, the health sector has synchronously deployed strategic solutions: Perfecting the organizational structure in a systematic and scientific manner, taking efficiency as the measure, taking service to the people as the center; building coordination regulations, clearly assigning tasks, limiting overlap and promoting the application of technology in management. The sector promotes the role of key cadres as the nucleus of solidarity, innovation and integration. At the same time, developing evenly among units, avoiding specialized areas; standardizing expertise, investing in upgrading medical infrastructure.

The health sector promotes personal responsibility in performing tasks; encourages innovation in implementing new medical techniques and services; builds a professional, responsible, and humane working environment, taking patient satisfaction as the goal of action. Every health worker needs to engrave the spirit of "Responsibility - dedication - devotion - loyalty to the cause of taking care of people's health".

- Reporter: Thank you !

Performed by HANH CHAU

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/co-hoi-va-thach-thuc-nganh-y-te-sau-hop-nhat-a424506.html