Prime Minister Le Minh Hung directs progress on the two hospital bases Bach Mai and Viet Duc, with a total investment of 9,958 billion dong

This morning, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung chaired a meeting with the Ministry of Health to review progress on tasks assigned to the ministry and to discuss proposals and recommendations related to health care, protection, and public health. The meeting focused on implementing Politburo Resolution 57 on science and technology breakthroughs, innovation, and digital transformation; Politburo Resolution 72 on breakthrough solutions to strengthen health protection and care; and Conclusion No. 18 of the Second Central Conference on the plan for socioeconomic development, national finances and public debt, alongside the five-year mid-term public investment 2026–2030 linked to the goal of achieving two-digit growth.

Hospital expansion projects: resolving remaining issues and timelines

Delegates heard reports on the progress of investment projects to build the second facilities of Viet Duc Friendship Hospital and Bach Mai Hospital, and provided opinions on recommendations to remove difficulties and obstacles.

After the Ministry of Health’s report, remarks from other ministries and agencies, and comments from Deputy Prime Ministers, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung said the government is directing efforts to resolve lingering issues and pending projects, including those within the Health Ministry’s management scope.

Regarding the second facility projects for the two hospitals, the remaining issues were described as mainly related to coordination among relevant parties within the remit of the Health Ministry and related ministries. The Prime Minister directed the Ministries of Health, Construction, Defense, and Public Security to mobilize maximum resources and implement the work in a synchronized, decisive, and effective manner to promptly address all existing issues, while completing documentation for construction, fire safety testing, environmental permits, and other remaining tasks.

“We must firmly bring the two hospitals into operation in the second quarter of 2026 in line with the directives of the General Secretary and President To Lam. The Health Ministry will lead, in cooperation with related ministries and agencies, to urgently finalize the special mechanisms and policies to operate the two hospitals, with a completion deadline no later than April 2026,” the Prime Minister emphasized.

Project scale and status

The investment project to construct the second facilities of Bach Mai Hospital and Viet Duc Friendship Hospital was approved in 2014, with total investment of 9,958 billion dong. Each hospital has 1,000 beds, and the projects were officially inaugurated in December 2025.

Public health priorities: screenings, food safety, and pharmaceutical system

The Prime Minister called for accelerating the roadmap for periodic health checks or free screening at least once a year for the population.

He also requested the Ministry to urgently finalize the draft Food Safety Law (amended) and strengthen state management of food safety; develop plans and roadmaps for periodic health checks or free screenings, prioritizing certain groups in 2026, especially in remote areas; and review and reorganize the pharmaceutical distribution system to improve efficiency.

Resolution 57 implementation: building “accurate, complete, clean, up-to-date” databases

In relation to implementing Resolution 57, the Prime Minister asked the Ministry to complete in 2026 the “accurate, complete, clean, up-to-date” databases, including databases on children, health facility environments, preventive care, people with disabilities, medical treatment, social assistance, and food safety.

Administrative reform and decentralization

The Prime Minister said administrative procedure reforms should be accelerated to reduce business conditions and cut time and compliance costs for citizens and businesses. He also directed that data reuse be pursued so that information already available should not be requested again, and that decentralization and empowerment be strengthened.

He further emphasized implementing Conclusion 18 so that ministries do not perform more than 30% of administrative procedures in their domains.

Other policy proposals discussed

The meeting also covered proposals related to reimbursement for health examination and medical costs covered by health insurance that exceed estimates or the overall payment cap for 2018–2022; preparations to implement mid-term public investment projects; adjustments to preferential and special allowances; careful calculation of service pricing in health care; plans to improve the state apparatus for food safety management; a policy experimentation mechanism in health; and addressing difficulties in implementing Decree 37/2026/NĐ-CP.