Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has requested the Ministry of Health to develop
specific action plans for the following years in line with goals
and visions set by the upcoming 13th National Party Congress.
He made the call during the National
Health Conference in Hanoi on January 6 which reviewed the sector’s performance
last year and mapped out tasks for this year.
2020 was an unforgettable year
for the during which medical workers in the frontline of the fight against COVID-19, undeterred by hardships, have devoted themselves to protecting people’s
lives and well-being and to the nation’s socio-economic development at large,
he said.
Vietnam has successfully
fulfilled the dual goals of containing the pandemic and maintaining positive
economic growth and that’s thanks to the participation of medical workers,
military and police officers in the COVID-19 response, the leader added.
A view of the in Hanoi on January 6. (Photo: VNA)
The PM took the occasion to thank
doctors, nurses and other frontliners at quarantine facilities and health care
establishments who have worked relentlessly and tirelessly over the past year
to keep Vietnam safe from the novel coronavirus.
He later ordered the health sector, together with military and police forces, to continue stay vigilant against
the pandemic, saying they must neither let their guard down nor allow the COVID-19
outbreak to resurge in the country.
He also asked the Ministry of
Health to ensure decent medical services for the 13th National Party
Congress slated for the end of this month.
Speaking at the event, UNDP
Representative in Vietnam Caitlin Wiesen hailed what Vietnam has achieved last year, saying it has been an “impressive year of accomplishment for Vietnam”.
UNDP Representative in Vietnam Caitlin Wiesen speaks at the event. (Photo: VNA)
Last year, Vietnam for the first
time entered the group of high human development countries according to UNDP’s
Global Human Development Report, she said, adding that the country’s life
expectancy at birth and healthy life expectancy scores are now better than the
average of the high human development group.
She went on to say Vietnam has
emerged as a leading country in containing the pandemic and one of the few
countries to record positive economic growth in 2020 and Vietnam’s success in
achieving the twin goals of containing the pandemic and reviving the economy,
has shown that giving priority to protecting the lives of people is also the
best way to sustain economic activity during the pandemic.
“Vietnam’s exemplary response to
the COVID-19 pandemic largely depended on swift and effective Government action
combined with the trust and willingness of citizens to contribute to the
Government’s preventive and protective measures. Vietnam offers to the world
lessons learnt from this success in terms of transparency, accountability,
social cohesion and innovation.”
She cited a UNDP report on
citizen opinions on the Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic shows
people’s strong consensus and support for the government’s policies and
actions. “More than 97 percent of respondents assessed the leadership of the National
Steering Committee on Prevention and Control as good or very good.”/.
Source: VietnamPlus
