Doctors from the E hospital teach cardiovascular techniques to their colleagues from a satellite hospital.(Source: nhandan.com.vn)
Hanoi (VNA) – A satellite hospital
project has helped reduce s at hospitals, especially at central-level facilities
in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, in its five years of implementation, heard a
conference in Hanoi on November 15.
Speaking at the event, Minster of Health Nguyen
Thi Kim Tien said the project has contributed to improving ability on provision
of medical services at satellite hospitals and strengthening patients’
confidence in hospitals outside city centres. This in turn increases patient
visits and treatment rates at satellite hospitals.
“The project helps reduce the number of patients
being sent from satellite hospitals to core hospitals for treatment and will
ease overcrowding at core hospitals,” said Tien.
She said the satellite hospital model has been
developed nationwide, not only in provincial and general hospitals but also at
the district-level like the general hospitals of Moc Chau (Son La province), Muong
Khuong (Lao Cai province) and Tam Duong Health Centre (Lai Chau province).
“Satellite hospitals are not only public medical
facilities but also non-State hospitals,” said Tien. “In HCM City, some
satellite hospitals attracted many patients visiting for examination and
treatment.”
“Professional skills of doctors at provincial
and district hospitals were improved,” said Tien. “Doctors from core and
satellite hospitals held consultations though telemedicine, meaning patients
with complicated conditions were handled right at the district level, thus
reducing accident and fatality rates.”
She added that doctors of central hospitals
would have more time to do scientific research and develop modern techniques if
professional skills of their colleagues at provincial and district levels were
improved.
According to the Health Ministry’s Medical
Service Administration (MSA) statistics, the project has developed 23 core
hospitals with 127 satellite hospitals across the country after five years of
implementation. Special priorities have been given to 10 professional
fields that experience serious patient overcrowding, namely cardiovascular
care, surgery, cancer treatment, obstetrics and pediatrics, emergency response
and first aid, clinical hematology, heart and injury surgery.
Launched in 2013 as part of the Ministry’s plan
to reduce hospital overload, the project aimed to improve satellite hospitals’
examination and treatment ability through training and by upgrading
infrastructure, facilities and capabilities.
At the event, core and satellite hospitals
shared lessons and discussed measures to handle shortcomings.
MSA Director Luong Ngoc Khue said the rate of
patients being sent to central hospitals for treatment has reduced in 85 percent
of satellite hospitals and that patient congestion at central hospitals has
also declined, especially at facilities in Hanoi and HCM City.
Five years after implementation, 23 core
hospitals have transferred nearly 2,000 medical techniques to satellite
hospitals. Many complicated techniques were transferred successfully such as
liver surgery from the E hospital and digestion and urinary cancer surgeries
from the K (Cancer) hospital, according to Khue.
He said satellite hospitals must be equipped
with medical facilities and medicine that meets transferred techniques. Some
hospitals were short of skilled workers, especially doctors.
“On-site training and technique transference
should be strengthened along with after-training supervision in efforts to
transfer modern surgery techniques,” he noted.
“Patient congestion was reduced at central heart
hospitals like the National Heart Hospital and the Hanoi Heart Hospital and in
other fields like cancer and tumour treatment, pediatrics, obstetrics, injuries
and orthopedics,” Khue added. – VNA
Source: VietnamPlus
