The Ministry of Health (MoH) has asked hospitals nationwide to outlineplans on quality management and set up projects to improve the qualityof check-ups and treatments.

At a workshop in HCMCity on Aug. 30, Nguyen Trong Khoa, deputy head of the MoH's HealthExamination and Treatment Department, said that hospitals should basetheir plans on the ministry's set of criteria as well as standardsproposed by international health commissions and councils.

The ministry also plans to collect opinions from patients and relatives and use those as a basis for developing standards.

Hospitals have been told to ensure the safety of patients and healthstaff by properly using medicine and injections, and performing surgeryunder professional methods.

Each hospital has a council onhospital quality management. However, Dr Luong Ngoc Khue, head of MoH'sHealth Exam and Treatment Department, said quality management has notyet been carried out at all hospitals in Vietnam.

Only 21 out of 171,210 public and private hospitals nationwide have done so.

Vietnam is faced with a shortage of officials specialising in hospital quality management, he said.


Because of the lack of knowledge about hospital quality management, the quality of check-up and treatments has not improved.

The ministry said it will focus on improving the capacity of hospitalmanagers by issuing guiding documents and pouring more investment inhospitals.

It will also issue incentives for hospitals toimplement quality management and encourage them to use informationtechnology, Khue said. /.