Dong Nai (VNS/VNA) - Peoplewith HIV/AIDS in the southeastern province of Dong Nai who have public healthinsurance can now go to any medical facility for treatment without requiring atransfer order from their designated hospital.

Until now they could only go to the healthfacility registered in their health insurance card. If they wanted to go toother places including higher-level hospitals, they had to obtain a transferorder from the facility.

The new system makes it easier for them to theirhospital of choice, said Dr Nguyen Gioi, Deputy Director of the provincialHIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Centre. 

The province’s website cites the case of a womanfrom Vinh Cuu district who tested positive for HIV eight years ago anddeveloped pneumonia and candidiasis and needed to go to a province-level hospitalfor treatment.

It took a long time to get the transfer paperfrom Bien Hoa city’s Preventive Health Centre, she complained.

Two medical facilities, the provincial HIV/AIDSPrevention and Control Centre and Long Khanh town’s Health Centre, have yet to signup for the new system with Vietnam Social Security, but are expected to come onboard this month.

Dr Truong Van Rang, deputy head of the latter,said the centre has all the facilities needed to examine and treat people withHIV/AIDS. It now provides free anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs to 412 people withHIV/AIDS.

Dr Nguyen Thi Van Van, head of the Long ThanhDistrict Health Centre, said the ARV drugs are sponsored by the Global Fund andprovided free.

The Global Fund is a partnership betweengovernments, civil society, the private sector and people affected by AIDS,tuberculosis and malaria, designed to accelerate the end of the diseases asepidemics.

Of 486 people with HIV treated at hercentre, Van said 112 do not have health insurance cards.

The Ministry of Health has warned that if healthfacilities do not sign up with the Vietnam Social Security to cover HIVtreatment for insured people, the province would have to cover the cost of ARVtherapy for them and the Global Fund would stop its assistance from next year.

Dong Nai province has seen a decrease in theincidence of new HIV cases in recent years from more than 300 in 2015 to 200last year and 60 so far this year. But the incidence among men who have sexwith men has increased sharply.

As of the beginning of this month, the provincehas issued for free health insurance cards to more than 2,600 people withHIV/AIDS. It is likely to issue another 300 soon.

Its goal is to ensure everyone with the diseaseis covered by the beginning of next year.

According to the province Department of Health,2,900 people with HIV/AIDS are receiving treatment at health facilities, withmore than 87 percent having health insurance cards.-VNS/VNA