Hanoi (VNA) - The National Health Digital Transformation Programme2020 - eHealth Vietnam Summit 2020 will take place on December 29-30 in Hanoi.

The programme aims to make the most of advantages in information technologyapplication, mobilise social resources and seek solutions to promote the rapid,timely and efficient implementation of digital transformation in the medicalfield in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, heard a press conference held inHanoi on December 24 by the Government Office and the Ministry of Health.

In addition to the plenary session, there are also four sidelines seminarsfocusing on topics such as: Digital transformation in medical examination andtreatment, Digital transformation in disease prevention and healthcare; Digitaltransformation in health management and non-cash payments. Achievements ofdigital transformation in the health field and medical innovations will be alsointroduced at this event.

Digital transformation in the medical sector includes the comprehensiveapplication of information technology, with a special focus on modern digitaltechnologies, leading to a positive change in all medical activities of thehealth sector, Director of the Ministry of Health’s Information TechnologyAgency Tran Quy Tuong told the press conference.

Tuong said that the health sector has stepped up and made a breakthrough in ITapplication, access to digital technologies such as connected internet ofthings (IoT) in the medical field, artificial intelligence, virtual reality,cloud computing and big data analytics in recent years.

According to Tuong, the sector has promoted the application of informationtechnology in hospitals such as 100 percent of hospitals nationwide havedeployed a hospital management information system, 10 hospitals and one clinichave deployed electronic medical records instead of paper ones, while 23hospitals have deployed image storage and transmission systems (PACS) insteadof printing films. Some hospitals in Hanoi, Da Nang and HCM City have usedsocial networks in patient interactions. The application of electronic medicalrecords for patients and cloud computing applications were available also in NgheAn, Tien Giang and Kon Tum provinces.

The Ministry of Health also collaborated with Vietnam Social Insurance Agencyto successfully implement the interconnection between medical examination andtreatment facilities nationwide and the Social Insurance Agency. To date, 99.5percent of healthcare facilities across the country have connected with theassessment system of the Vietnam Social Insurance Agency, according to theInformation Technology Agency.

The sector has developed a remote medical examination and treatmentconsultation system and IoT in the health sector and deployed artificialintelligence and robotic applications in the medical field. The sector alsodeveloped and deployed electronic health records and promoted the applicationof information technology in grassroots health facilities by developing aunified management software for commune health stations nationwide. It alsoorganised the electronic health statistics system nationwide and applied ITadvances in the prevention and control of COVID-19, such as the voluntarymedical declaration software (NCOVI), the Vietnam Health Declaration, Bluezoneand Safe COVID apps.

The health sector plans to apply digital technology in most of its activitiesand services, forming a smart health system with three main contents: smartprevention; smart medical examination and treatment; and smart medicaladministration./.