Doctors at the National Hospital of Pediatrics, Hanoi recently used a system of remote healthcare consultations to support the Ninh Binh Obstetrics & Pediatrics Hospital in treating 3 serious illness cases. Deputy Director of the National Hospital of Pediatrics Tran Minh Dien said through the remote consultation method, doctors have coordinated with each other to give effective treatments: “Our colleagues at lower level hospitals have learned a lot from observing the patients from the early stage of their diasease. It is difficult because at that stage, the patients have not shown the clinical and subclinical symptoms. In order to early detect such symptoms, we need the cooperation of doctors at both lower level hospitals and central hospitals.”
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (C) and senior officials launch a remote healthcare consultation and support (telehealth) network that connected medical examination and treatment facilities with hospitals of Hanoi and HCM City (Photo:VNS/Thanh Hai)

Remote examinations and treatments proved effective in Cho Ray Hospital, the largest health care facility in southern Vietnam. Director Nguyen Tri Thuc said Cho Ray hospital is treating 10,000 patients, of whom critically ill patients have been transferred from low level hospitals. Cho Ray has operated its telehealth center connecting with more than 300 other facilities to provide virtual consultations whenever their peers in grass-roots hospitals require assistance for difficult cases. Remote consultations contribute to improving the quality of treatment for local hospitals, increasing the opportunities for patients in remote and isolated areas to access modern techniques and methods in diagnosis and treatment. Thuc said: “Telehealth centers help us respond to situations faster. If low level hospitals need assistance, we are ready to support in emergency cases.”

Remote medical examination and treatment has been deployed in many hospitals

(Photo: Vietnamnet)

Developing a support platform helps limit mass contact, and reduce the risk of cross-contamination. If 100% of health facilities have remote medical examination and treatment units, it would be easier to promote the digital transformation of the health sector. Associate Professor Doctor. Luong Ngoc Khue, Director of the Administration of Medical Examination and Treatment said: “We will train doctors at lower level hospitals through this virtual platform. As Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam suggested, we should make use of IT platforms to share knowledge and experiences, in which 1 doctor at the central level will be in charge of helping 4 doctors at the provincial level, 4 doctors at the district level and 2 others at the commune level. In the future, we move forward equipping patients with medical kits, through which doctors could check their health and give direction.”

After 2 months of project implementation, there are more than 1,000 medical examination and treatment points connected with more than 20 central hospitals in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Several complicated cases in remote areas including Truong Sa, Co To, and Muong Nhe, have been consulted in time and saved.