LamDong (VNA) - The implementation of the second phase of a health care project in the CentralHighlands provinces was reviewed at a conference held in Da Lat city on January11.

Funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the project aims to support thedevelopment of medical systems in the five provinces of Dak Lak, Dak Nong, KonTum, Gia Lai and Lam Dong during 2014-2019, towards meeting the increasing demand for medical checkupsof regional residents, especially impoverished and ethnic people.

Addressing the event, Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien underlined theneed to pay attention to improving the quality of human resources, medicalexamination and treatment activities.

The project mainly focuses on enhancing communal-level heath care, fine-tuningthe quality and access to medical services at hospitals and the managementcapacity in health care establishments at all levels in terms of basicconstruction, facility procurement, consultation, training, communication and projectmanagement.

After more than 4 years of implementation, all activities such as purchasingambulances, medical and office equipment; consultation work; basic construction;training human resources, and communication campaigns, have been implementedsynchronously at both central and local-level medical establishments.

During the period, Over 21.4 million USD were spent on building and upgrading 83 commune health centres, generalhealth clinics, and district hospitals, while long and short-termtraining courses were organised for doctors and management staff at both districtand commune levels.

Awide range of communication campaigns were also arranged to raise public awarenessof disease prevention, effective use of medical services, and medical insurancebenefits.

Participants to the event pointed out difficulties and obstacles in implementingthe software-based management of information related to patients, healthinsurance, health records, and vaccination of people at all levels.

Participants proposed the Ministry of Health to provide synchronous managementsoftware to better the management of health and examination and treatment activities,and payment of health insurance at health stations.

The 76.6-million-USD project, which gets 70million USD as loan from the ADB, seeks to develop health care system,particularly in provinces with poor, ethnic minority and other disadvantagedpeople.

In its first phase, 200 doctors were trained, 12district health centres, four health education centres and two medicalvocational training schools were built. Meanwhile, new equipment was providedfor the local hospitals.-VNA