Substantial increase in medical fees

Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said a price hike is suitable, as medical fees have remained somewhat consistent for several years.

Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said a price hike is suitable, as medical fees have remained somewhat consistent for several years, while minimum wages have been increased seven to eight times during the same period.

Increased medical fees would help improve service quality

The Ministry of Health has sought approval from the National Assembly for a medical fee hike for three consecutive terms, but the proposals were turned down. Increased fees would mean better service quality, he emphasised.

In response to deputy Huynh Tan Duong’s concerns over gender imbalance, Tien said that the situation is getting worse, especially in the Red River Delta. Currently, the country has an average 130 boys on 100 girls.

“Advanced technology can help detect gender of an embryo at the age of two weeks, which sometimes leads to abortion due to gender selection,” she shared.

She said that Vietnam may face the same situation as in China, Taiwan and South Korea, where the inequality of gender means that men have a hard time finding a wife, also leading to sex-trafficking.

In order to deal with the problem, she suggested strict punishments for ultrasound units that encourage gender selection, along with improving people’s awareness.