Promoting telemedicine, increasing access to services for vulnerable groups

Thúc đẩy y tế từ xa, tăng cường tiếp cận dịch vụ cho nhóm yếu thế- Ảnh 1. — Vietnam - Korea workshop on remote medical examination and treatment - Photo: VGP/HM

On June 26, the Ministry of Health and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Vietnam organized a Vietnam-Korea workshop on remote medical examination and treatment. The workshop is part of the project "Application of remote medical examination and treatment to enhance access to health services for vulnerable groups in Vietnam".

Speaking at the workshop, Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan emphasized the important role of telemedicine in the context of Vietnam promoting digital transformation and improving grassroots healthcare capacity, especially in remote, isolated and disadvantaged areas.

The Deputy Minister said that since 2020, in the context of social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Health has implemented the "Remote Medical Examination and Treatment" project and opened over 1,000 connection points, saving the lives of thousands of seriously ill COVID-19 patients. To date, tens of thousands of patients have received remote consultation, examination and treatment.

Within the framework of international cooperation, UNDP has accompanied the Ministry of Health to deploy the software "Doctor for every family" in 8 disadvantaged provinces, helping people access high-quality medical services without having to travel far.

Currently, the project has expanded to a new phase with the support of the Korea Foundation for Healthcare (KOFIH), covering 10 disadvantaged provinces, remote areas including: Ha Giang, Bac Kan , Lang Son, Lao Cai, Lai Chau, Yen Bai, Tay Ninh, Hau Giang, Ben Tre and Ca Mau, aiming to manage people's health in the digital environment and improve the capacity of grassroots health care, increasing access to high-tech medical services for people.

According to Deputy Minister Tran Van Thuan, Vietnam can learn from the experience of remote medical examination and treatment from other countries in the world, thereby developing a general plan to advocate and create a suitable legal corridor for implementing remote medical examination and treatment.

Sharing about telemedicine activities in Korea and some countries, Dr. Kang Jae Heon, Department of Family Medicine, Samsung Kangbuk Hospital said that Korea is also currently implementing a pilot project for telemedicine.

Statistics from 2020 to July 2024 show that the number of remote medical examinations and treatments is more than 10 million. Of which, there are 5 common diseases, mainly chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, high blood fat, allergic rhinitis, bronchitis...

According to this expert, the US, France, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand... are also implementing remote medical examination and treatment. These countries mainly provide remote medical examination and treatment for the elderly and people with chronic diseases...

Dr. Ha Anh Duc, Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management, said that the Ministry of Health has issued guidelines for remote medical examination and treatment at grassroots health facilities, and at the same time stipulated a list of 50 diseases and medical conditions that can be examined and treated remotely. This list includes many cardiovascular, endocrine, and infectious diseases, etc.

"Remote medical treatment must ensure the same quality as direct medical examination and treatment, so there needs to be specific assessment, pilot implementation, preparation from human resources to machinery, equipment, legal corridors... so that people can receive the most appropriate health care," emphasized Dr. Ha Anh Duc.

Hien Minh

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/thuc-day-y-te-tu-xa-tang-cuong-tiep-can-dich-vu-cho-nhom-yeu-the-102250626165918263.htm