Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Six hospitals will be prioritised for investment and upgrades to meet international standards, part of the Government's decision approving the implementation of the master plan for the healthcare network for the period of 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050.

These State-run hospitals are Bach Mai, the Vietnam-Germany Friendship (in Hanoi), Hue Central Hospital (Thua Thien-Hue province), Cho Ray (Ho Chi Minh City), the 108 Central Military Hospital (Hanoi), and the 175 Military Hospital (Ho Chi Minh City).

Per the decision signed by Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long, the Government is also prioritising investment in the construction of the Central Highlands Region General Hospital and the National Coordinating Centres for Human Organ Transplantation in Hanoi, Da Nang and HCM City.

In the fields of preventive medicine and public health, priority will be given to constructing a central disease control centre and three regional disease control centres.

In the field of population and reproductive health, the Government has highlighted the construction of two centres for prenatal and neonatal screening and diagnosis in Thai Nguyen and Dak Lak provinces.

At the same time, six centres for prenatal and neonatal screening and diagnosis in Hanoi, Nghe An, Thua Thien-Hue, HCM City, and Can Tho will be upgraded.

According to the plan, the health sector will review, streamline, transform and reorganise public health units, adjusting their functions and tasks to ensure efficiency, effectiveness and streamlined operations.

The health sector will also focus on developing medical human resources, expanding the scale and improving the quality of education in health sector training institutions to meet the demand for medical professionals, including doctors, pharmacists and nurses, both in terms of quantity and expertise.

Innovation in healthcare will be promoted based on big data infrastructure and the application of artificial intelligence in medicine. Enhancing capabilities and prioritising the development of high-application technologies, particularly in digital healthcare, AI and key areas like biotechnology, pharmacy and biomedical electronics, are also being addressed.

In particular, the Government will allocate public investment to develop infrastructure for healthcare facilities in economically disadvantaged areas, remote regions, border areas, islands and fields with limited revenue sources, such as preventive medicine, tuberculosis, leprosy and mental health facilities.

The State will invest and establish appropriate mechanisms to encourage and incentivise businesses and research institutions for specialised laboratories for drug research and development./.