SGGPO 05/25/2023 17:35

This is a breakthrough in international integration, an activity to promote the improvement of training quality of schools in the health sector and improve the quality of practitioners, meeting the goal of taking patients as the center.

Professor, Dr. Tran Van Thuan, Deputy Minister of Health, spoke at the conference.

On May 25, in Ho Chi Minh City, the Ministry of Health held a conference to disseminate the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment No. 15/2023/QH15 to the Departments of Health of provinces and cities, public and private hospitals in the Southern region to ensure that the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment No. 15/2023/QH15 is implemented according to the roadmap from January 1, 2024.

Speaking at the opening of the conference, Professor, Dr. Tran Van Thuan, Deputy Minister of Health, said that the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment No. 15/2023/QH15 was passed by the National Assembly on January 9, 2023 with many new contents.

The changes in the Law have demonstrated progress in access, creating an important legal corridor for the field of medical examination and treatment from the perspective of patient-centeredness, fairness, efficiency, quality and development.

This revised Law on Medical Examination and Treatment has also removed some obstacles, resolved shortcomings, adjusted some contents to suit the actual context, clearly demonstrating the priority policy in medical examination and treatment. One of the important new points is that the Law has stipulated the organization of an examination to assess the capacity of practitioners before granting a practice license, which is carried out by the National Medical Council.

"This is a breakthrough in international integration, an activity to promote the improvement of training quality of schools in the health sector and improve the quality of practitioners, meeting the goal of taking patients as the center, although this regulation will create more pressure for new graduates to undergo a competency assessment exam," informed Professor, Dr. Tran Van Thuan.

According to the Deputy Minister of Health, in addition, the Law also specifies a number of contents on socialization in medical examination and treatment activities; forms of attracting social resources in medical examination and treatment activities; management and control of medical examination and treatment costs; specific regulations on the responsibility for establishing and operating the information system on medical examination and treatment management; supplementing a number of contents on ensuring security and order for medical examination and treatment facilities and practitioners...

In order for the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment No. 15/2023/QH15 to be implemented according to the roadmap, the Deputy Minister of Health requested that the affiliated departments and agencies urgently develop the contents of decrees, circulars, decisions, and projects to be able to implement the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment as soon as the Law takes effect from January 1, 2024.

In addition, the Ministry of Health also requests relevant ministries, branches, agencies, organizations, units and localities to actively participate in contributing opinions in the process of drafting guiding documents and related projects, ensuring that detailed guiding regulations are feasible, appropriate, of good quality and in accordance with the provisions of the Law.

At the same time, it is recommended that provincial and municipal Departments of Health, hospitals, and public and private medical examination and treatment facilities develop plans and continue to disseminate the contents of the Law to ensure that practitioners, organizations, and individuals participating in medical examination and treatment practice correctly understand and comply with legal regulations on medical examination and treatment.

Associate Professor, Dr. Luong Ngoc Khue (2nd right cover) presents the book Law on Medical Examination and Treatment to the leaders of Gia An 115 Hospital.

At the conference, delegates were also informed of some contents such as: Introduction to the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment No. 15/2023/QH15; Introduction to regulations on assessment of professional capacity and continuous updating of medical knowledge in the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment No. 15/2023/QH15; Introduction to regulations on medical finance in the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment No. 15/2023/QH15... The Law on Medical Examination and Treatment No. 15/2023/QH15 consists of 12 chapters and 121 articles, an increase of 3 chapters and 30 articles compared to the current Law and will take effect from January 1, 2024.

Discussing at the conference, Ms. Tran Thi Xuan Phuong, Deputy Chief Inspector of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, proposed that there should be clearer regulations on the ceiling price for medical examination and treatment services at non-public medical facilities. In the past, this unit has received many complaints from people about some private medical facilities charging too high fees for medical examination and treatment services compared to the same services at public hospitals and other private medical facilities. However, when inspected, this price had been registered by the facility in advance.

Giving specific evidence, Ms. Xuan Phuong said: some private medical facilities charge 60-70 million VND for procedures such as circumcision, 50-60 million VND for abortion... these prices are too high, but because they have registered in advance, it is impossible to apply sanctions for the behavior related to charging high prices. Meanwhile, the Department of Health cannot control the ceiling price of medical examination and treatment services because there are no regulations.