Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh has agreed in principle to allow the Ministry of Health to continue increasing medical fees at state-owned hospitals nationwide after the last price hike last August. Under the roadmap for a hospital fee hike, the new fees will be calculated based on the prices of all seven services instead of just three services. The price hike will help health facilities upgrade their equipment to better serve local people, especial those with health insurance cards, said Deputy Health Minister Pham Le Tuan. However, experts said the hike will also cause more financial burdens on patients, mostly the poor, amid the rising prices of essential goods and other arising fees. In addition, analysts raised concerns that higher hospital fees will push inflation up, causing difficulties to business activities and lives of local residents amid economic woes. After raising the hospital fees in August 2012, the services at several big hospitals such as Bach Mai, K and Pediatrics Hospitals all based in Hanoi, have not improved much, they added. (baodatviet.vn Oct 13, Sai Gon Giai Phong – Saigon Liberation Oct 15 p3, Kinh Te Do Thi – Urban Economy Oct 15 p2)
