Many serious food-related violations have been dealt with.

Regarding criminal prosecution, the Ministry of Health, in coordination with the Ministry of Public Security and other relevant ministries and agencies, submitted to the National Assembly for promulgation the 2015 Penal Code, amended in 2017, which includes Article 317 on the crime of violating regulations on food safety.

According to the Ministry of Health, regulations stipulate criminal penalties for causing poisoning that seriously affects the health of 5 or more people, with the highest penalty reaching 20 years for this offense in cases where 3 or more people die, or where poisoning seriously affects the health of 201 or more people, or where the total percentage of bodily harm to 3 or more people is 201% or higher.

The maximum penalty can be up to 20 years in prison in cases of serious violations.

Gender imbalance is at a serious level.

According to the Ministry of Health, during the period from 1999 to 2005, the trend of the sex ratio at birth in Vietnam was unclear and seemed to fluctuate within the limits of natural balance (103 to 107 boys/100 girls).

However, since 2006, Vietnam's sex ratio at birth has begun to show a significant upward trend and currently shows no signs of stopping.

From 2012 to the present, the sex ratio at birth has consistently remained above 112 boys per 100 girls. The sex ratio at birth in 2020 decreased compared to previous years but remained high (2021: 112 boys/100 girls; 2022: 113.7 boys/100 girls; 2023: 113.6 boys/100 girls).

According to the Ministry of Health, the gender imbalance at birth in Vietnam is due to a number of objective and subjective factors that directly and indirectly contribute to it, including the ideology of continuing the family lineage, which has intensified the preference for male children...; and the misuse of scientific and technological advancements to perform prenatal sex selection.

Indirect but significant contributing factors include: pressure to reduce birth rates, with each couple wanting only 1-2 children but prioritizing sons, leading to the use of services to select the sex of the fetus;

Due to economic needs, manual labor in agriculture, forestry, fisheries, mineral extraction, and offshore fishing requires the physical strength of sons, who are the economic pillars and provide security for the entire family; moreover, nearly 70% of our population still lives in rural areas, most do not have pensions in old age, and the responsibility of support falls primarily on the sons…

Besides the above reasons, there are also reasons related to inconsistent laws. Inspection, monitoring, and handling of violations related to sex selection of fetuses have not been sufficiently strengthened. Support for enhancing the role and status of women and girls is still inadequate...

To mitigate this situation, the Ministry of Health proposes that, in addition to policies on raising awareness, campaigning, and eliminating gender stereotypes, it will review and supplement the list of prohibited behaviors, including sex selection of fetuses and gender discrimination in all forms.

Amend and strengthen administrative penalties for certain violations; Stipulate the responsibilities of agencies, organizations, and individuals in strictly enforcing the prohibition of sex selection of fetuses in all forms.

Inspect, examine, and strictly handle violations; focus on the abuse of technologies and techniques for sex selection at birth, and the responsibility of agencies, organizations, and individuals in organizing and implementing such practices.

The Ministry of Health assesses that this policy will create a legal basis to effectively prevent the abuse of science and technology for sex selection of fetuses, and to prevent and minimize gender imbalance.

Hospital quality inspection in Ho Chi Minh City

The inspection team for the quality assessment of hospitals in 2023 and the first six months of 2024, led by Dr. Nguyen Trong Khoa - Deputy Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management, inspected and assessed the quality of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City.

Dr. Nguyen Trong Khoa, Deputy Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management, stated that the assessment and certification of quality aim to maintain and improve the quality of operation of medical examination and treatment facilities;

Providing information so that patients and payers can choose appropriate medical facilities, and serving as a basis for recommending action against violations and awarding commendations based on quality standard evaluation results…

Ten years ago, the set of 83 criteria for evaluating hospital quality was adopted by healthcare facilities and became a goal for hospitals to strive for. Among them, the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital of Ho Chi Minh City has always been a pioneer in improving hospital quality and has achieved proud accomplishments.

Reporting to the delegation, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Hoang Bac, Director of the University Medical Center of Ho Chi Minh City, stated that over the years, the set of criteria for evaluating hospital quality has served as a guiding principle for the hospital to strive for improvement.

Specifically, outpatient examinations increased by 6.1%, inpatient treatment by 7.6%, surgery by 10.4%, and minor surgery by 21%. The hospital is constantly seeking advanced specialized techniques to focus its investment and development efforts on.

Every year, the departments implement many new techniques, including some that are being performed for the first time in Vietnam, many difficult and minimally invasive techniques, treating many serious diseases, and accessing and mastering most advanced medical techniques in the world...

In 2023, the hospital implemented 8 new techniques classified as special techniques and type 1 techniques according to the regulations of the Ministry of Health. Notably, the hospital was also evaluated and approved by the Ministry of Health to officially implement a new technique, the first of its kind in Vietnam: Laparoscopic abdominal wall repair with anterior abdominal wall fascia dissection for the treatment of large abdominal wall hernias.

In 2023, the hospital performed 11 kidney transplants, 6 adult liver transplants, and 6 pediatric liver transplants at the hospital, and assisted in liver transplants for 2 children at other hospitals.

In particular, the Ministry of Health has assessed and evaluated the hospital and found it to be fully qualified to perform heart transplants. The Stroke Unit has received Diamond certification in stroke treatment from the World Stroke Organization (WSO).

In addition, the hospital is also a pioneer in digital transformation, applying information technology to improve the quality of medical examination and treatment, contributing to enhancing the quality of professional activities and management work such as: deploying the electronic office software - UMC Office (UMC Op-phít), pharmaceutical management software, online appointment registration and payment functions on the UMC Care app…;

The development of the UMC Home app, the EMR electronic medical record software, and the increased implementation of cashless payment methods reached 51%, a 4% increase compared to the previous year.

The hospital's IT engineering team and staff independently developed and perfected 147 software programs and built a digital dashboard to manage hospital data in both detailed and comprehensive ways. Administrative reform and the application of information technology continue to yield significant results.

With a team of highly trained, specialized, and experienced medical staff, the hospital is equipped with modern machinery and technical equipment to perform all the most advanced stroke emergency techniques in the world, including artificial intelligence (AI) software applications in diagnosis and treatment to effectively provide emergency care for stroke patients who unfortunately arrive late, up to 24 hours after the onset of the disease.

Currently, the hospital receives 7,000-8,000 patients daily. Although there is some overcrowding in the early morning, most examinations and treatments are completed within the day. The management and coordination of medical examination and treatment activities are smooth and safe.