The Vietnamese Ministry of Health will start piloting the model of family clinics in eight cities and provinces across the country from July 15, as part of efforts to ease the overloading at public hospitals and enable local people to have an easier access to healthcare services. Family clinics will provide first aid, examinations and testing at both the clinic and the patient’s home to help detect diseases early and treat them, according to the ministry’s Circular No. 16/2014. The circular stipulates that family clinics are permitted to treat patients with health insurance cards, and they can admit or move patients to other higher-level healthcare facilities as regulated. Patients save money when they are treated at home because they don’t have to pay to stay in hospitals. When a family doctor clinic is effectively operational, co-operation between doctors and patients will be enhanced and shortcomings in examinations and treatment that cause public concerns will hopefully be reduced. A family clinic can be set by a family doctor or a private general clinic or a private hospital. Family clinics must have full data on the health of their patients. The Medical Services Administration has been assigned to monitor activities at family clinics nationwide. At least 80 family clinics are expected to be opened by 2015. (VietnamPlus Jul 15)
