• Your Excellencies,
• Professor Luong Ngoc Khue, People’s Doctor,  Vice-Chairman of the National Medical Council and Director General of the Viet Nam Administration for Medical Services (VAMS) of the Ministry of Health;
• President Kim Chang-yup of the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH);
• Ms. Lee Hyang, Country Representative of KOFIH in Viet Nam;
• Leaders and representatives from the Viet Nam Administration for Medical Services, the International Cooperation Department, the Department of Planning and Finance and the Electronic Health Administration of the Ministry of Health of Viet Nam;

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good afternoon!
It is my great pleasure to join with you all this afternoon for the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare on the project “Telehealth to improve access to healthcare services for disadvantaged groups in Viet Nam.

Vietnam is globally recognized for its success in improving health outcomes and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals, including Goal 3 on Good Health and Well-Being for All.
At the outset, let me congratulate the Ministry of Health, especially the Viet Nam Administration of Medical Services led by Professor Luong Ngoc Khue, as well as the whole healthcare system on the response to COVID-19, including both treatment and prevention aspects, enabling Viet Nam to safely re-open borders and promote sustainable economic recovery.  

Digitization in health is a key innovation spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Industrial Revolution 4.0. UNDP places strong importance on supporting Viet Nam’s National Digital Transformation Roadmap to 2025 and vision to 2030, including digital transformation of health.

The “Doctor for Everyone” telehealth software connects healthcare workers at commune health stations with district health services to provide consultation and guidance, improving the quality of local health services and offering better health outcomes for patients. It includes a secure video conferencing platform to support meetings between district health centres, district general hospitals and commune health stations. It also includes a free smartphone application to connect local people to the commune health station, including ethnic minorities and people with disabilities, with a focus on leaving no-one behind.

“Doctor for Everyone” was piloted in three remote and mountainous provinces, namely Ha Giang, Bac Kan and Lang Son, and has been replicated in five further provinces including Thua Thien Hue, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Ca Mau and Dak Lak since November 2022. Five servers certified for information security by Command 86 of the Ministry of Defence and 75 sets of telehealth equipment including computers, webcams, microphones and speakers have been handed over to five provincial Departments of Health to support the “Doctor for Everyone” system. In addition, 30 online training courses have been provided to 1,978 healthcare workers from 736 health facilities as of December 2022.

The cooperation with KOFIH will support “Doctor for Everyone” in 10 provinces, including upgrading the software and provision of servers, IT equipment and training. It will also support the legal framework for telehealth in Viet Nam.

The “Doctor for Everyone” software aims to complement the existing telehealth program of the Ministry of Health, for which VAMS is the national focal point agency . The “Doctor for Everyone” software is fully aligned with Viet Nam’s strategy to upgrade and strengthen the capacity of the health system at all levels, especially the capacity of the grassroots healthcare system at the commune level for early detection and treatment.

Excellency Prof. Luong Ngoc Khue, President Kim Chang-yup, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Our aim is to support the development of a nationwide grassroots telehealth system in which grassroots health workers have medical guidance at their fingertips, and where patients, especially those from disadvantaged groups, receive the highest quality care in a timely manner.

We are also pleased to know that successful implementation of this programme will contribute to communes and districts achieving the telehealth indicator of the National Set of Indicators for Advanced New Rural Communes set out in Prime Minister’s Decision No. 318 issued in March 2022 and in the Ministry of Health’s Decision No. 2955 issued in October 2022 on Approval of the Plan for promotion and use of health digital platforms and implementation of the National Digital Transformation Program by 2025, with a vision to 2030.

Ladies and gentlemen,
UNDP stands ready to further deepen our strategic partnership with VAMS, the Ministry of Health and the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare to support the achievement of Viet Nam’s strategic targets for the new rural development program by 2025, and for the National Program for Digital Transformation in health.

This is a key part of UNDP’s overall support to innovation in Viet Nam’s health sector, alongside other activities supporting development of a climate-smart healthcare system, including a new model for climate resilient commune health stations.

I am confident that our joint efforts will contribute to a more resilient and prosperous country, where no one is left behind.

On the occasion of the upcoming Tet holiday coming soon, I wish you all and your families a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!

Thank you! Xin cam on!