Hanoi (VNA) - Experts discussed paymentsfor remote health examination and treatment with health insurance during aconference held by the Ministry of Health on June 1 in Hanoi.

Experts said remote health examination and treatment was aneffective measure to raise work effectiveness in grassroots levels whilereducing the burden on upper-level hospitals.

It also helped patients by cutting their travel time andexpenses.

However, the implementation of remote health examination andtreatment still met lots of obstacles, especially payment with health insurance.

Chairing the conference, Deputy Minister of Health NguyenThanh Long said remote health examination and treatment meant multi-hospitalconsultations and could not replace traditional examination and treatment.

Two main problems should be resolved, Long said, includinghow grassroots-level hospitals learn skills regularly and when they are inneed, and how residents receive health support regularly and when they are inneed.   

An effective system is needed to apply information technologyin the work.

Long said multi-hospital and online consultancy helped bringthe best treatment method for COVID-19 patients, especially serious ones, the43-year-old British pilot for example.

“The best professors and experts of the health sector haveonline discussions about his condition and proper treatment for him. So far hehas had initial improvement,” said Long.

Long asked hospitals to set up a strategy for using onlinehealth examination and treatment systems.

“We should push technology into the system to promote itsefficiency and quality,” he said.

Luong Ngoc Khue, Director of the Medical ServicesAdministration, said thanks to remote health examination and treatment,residents in remote areas could access high-quality medical services butexpenses for travel and services would be minimised.

Central hospitals have enough capacity and infrastructure forthe project, according to Khue.

The project’s main activities include telemedicinecounselling, telemedicine consultation, remote image diagnostic consultation,remote anatomy and surgical consultation, use of apps in medical services andtechnology transfer.

Fifteen hospitals across the country in the satellitehospital system are scheduled to join the project.

Most of the expenses for the project come from the Statebudget and as many as 400 hospitals in provinces and districts will benefitfrom the project.

Nguyen Lan Hieu, Director of the Hanoi Medical University Hospital, said thehospital had conducted remote health examinations and treatment fordistrict-level hospitals.

The hospital had offered remote consultancy twice a week for16 satellite hospitals.

In the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang, the Hanoi Medical University Hospitalnot only connected to the provincial hospital but also 11 district hospitals.

“The most difficult problem is the infrastructure andequipment for the work. Payment for doctors also meet obstacles because aproper policy is needed,” said Hieu.

Tran Minh Dien, Deputy Director of the National PaediatricsHospital, said the hospital had used video calls for online consultancysuccessfully in 10 cases.

“To conduct remote health examination and treatmentsuccessfully, we need good task forces and detailed concerned policies,” hesaid.

To implement the project soon, Deputy Minister Nguyen ThanhLong asked the Health Insurance Department to urgently work with the Departmentof Planning and Finance to set up a system of expenses for remote healthexamination and treatment with health insurance./.