PM budgets $870mil for better health centres

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved the spending of more than VND16 trillion to build and upgrade preventive health centres around the country. . .

Dang Thuy Tram Hospital in the central province of Quang Ngai is equipped with modern facilities to better serve the patients.

Ministry officials told a seminar held in HCM City yesterday, December 14, that around VND1.5 trillion ($82 million) has been earmarked for setting up an HIV/AIDS prevention network at the provincial level.

Nguyen Thanh Long, head of the Department of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control, said most HIV/AIDS prevention and control centres did not have premises of their own and provided check-up, counselling and even treatment at borrowed ones.

They also lacked equipment and supplies, he added

Nguyen Tuan Hung, deputy head of the Personnel Department, said the country’s 10 preventive health institutes only had 1,231 doctors against a requisite of 1,493.

To attract more doctors, the Government should offer incentives and extra allowances to those working at preventive health centres, he said.

He blamed the shortage on the low number of medical students who opt for training in preventive health and the low salaries paid to doctors and other medical staff working in preventive health.

Nguyen Huy Nga, head of the Preventive Medicine and Environment Department, said epidemic prevention had suffered in the country due to a shortage of equipment and other supplies and poor awareness of infectious diseases among people.

“People do not fully co-operate in preventing dengue fever, especially in spraying chemicals to control mosquitoes,” he explained.

The incidence of dengue fever increased by 7.3 per cent year-on-year in the first 10 months to 77,068 but the fatality rate was down 11.7 per cent.

There have also been 471 cases of cholera around the country, including one death in Ninh Binh Province. But the epidemic has been contained.

Bird flu has caused a death each in the provinces of Quang Ninh, Dong Thap, Ninh Binh and Thanh Hoa.

By the end of November, there were 10,891 cases of swine flu in 61 provinces and cities and 42 fatalities.

The number of cases of malaria in the first nine months was 42,875, with 14 deaths.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News