Thailand to help Vietnam develop universal healthcare coverage

By eGov Innovation Editors | Feb 7, 2012

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Thailand and Vietnam have signed a memorandum of understanding on health cooperation, under which Thailand will help Vietnam develop its universal health care coverage scheme.

The agreement was signed  by Thailand Public Health Minister Wittaya Buranasiri and Vietnamese Minister of Health Dr. Nguyen Thi Kim Tien in Bangkok on January 26.

The Thai government website reported that under the agreement, the two countries  will cooperate in developing the management of the universal health care coverage scheme and research on the health insurance program. It will also exchange knowledge on health policy and financial support for the scheme.

Moreover, hospitals in the two countries will work in pairs to improve knowledge sharing. For instance, Rajavithi Hospital in Bangkok will work with Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi, while the Queen Sirikit National Health Institute of Child Health in Thailand will work with Vietnam’s National Hospital of Pediatrics.

Vietnam is set to adopt the universal health care coverage policy in 2014 and is now planning to develop a funding mechanism in line with this policy. Meanwhile, Thailand has been implementing the universal coverage for 10 years now and has been successful and is recognized internationally.

Minister Wittaya said the Thai government has a clear-cut policy to further develop the health insurance system, so that people would receive access to quality, convenient, timely, and equitable healthcare. The World Health Organization is even eyeing to encourage a similar model worldwide.

A workshop on universal health care coverage will be held in Thailand in February 2012,  China and the Philippines also eyeing representatives to the attend the workshop.