Rules for hospital nutrition in Vietnam according to Circular No. 18/2020/TT-BYT

According to the Circular No. 18/2020/TT-BYT of the Ministry of Health of Vietnam, 05 rules for hospital nutrition are stipulated as follows:

1. Hospitals must organize their nutrition operations in connection with their examination and treatment operations.

2. Patients visiting a hospital for outpatient examination and/or treatment shall be screened for nutritional risk factors; and those visiting for inpatient examination and/or treatment shall have their nutritional status screened and assessed.

3. Patients shall be given a diet suitable for their nutritional status and illness.

4. The doctor in charge of a patient and doctors of the nutrition department shall decide the patient’s diet.

5. Nutrition personnel must be professionally qualified for their assigned tasks.

Note: Circular No. 18/2020/TT-BYT is applicable to regulatory bodies, organizations and individuals involved in hospital nutrition.

Specifically, Circular No. 18/2020/TT-BYT provides for hospital nutrition, conditions for assurance thereof and responsibility for hospital nutrition.

Organizational structure for nutrition is prescribed in Circular No. 18/2020/TT-BYT as follows:

- Organization of nutrition operations:

Based on the organizational and operational regulations of each hospital, the nutrition department or nutrition unit, which is a part of the clinical block, shall be established in accordance with the following regulations:

+ Hospitals with at least 100 beds must establish a nutrition department. Every 100 beds must have at least 01 nutrition specialist.

+ Hospitals with less than 100 beds must have a nutrition unit or full-time nutritionist if unable to establish a nutrition department.

- The nutrition department shall comprise:

+ A nutrition advisory unit

+ A nutrition therapy unit

+ A meal processing and provision unit

+ If there is no meal processing and provision unit, the hospital must sign a contract on meal processing in the hospital with an outside organization or individual, which shall be placed under the professional and food safety supervision of the nutrition department.

View more details at the Circular No. 18/2020/TT-BYT of the Ministry of Health of Vietnam, effective from January 01, 2021.

Thuy Tram

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