Requirements for issuance of the operating license to polyclinics and specialized clinics in Vietnam

Requirements for issuance of the operating license to polyclinics and specialized clinics in Vietnam (Internet image)

1. Forms of organization of health facilities in Vietnam

According to Article 22 of Decree 109/2016/ND-CP (amended in Decree 155/2018/ND-CP), the health facilities must be established in accordance with the law and must conform to one of the following forms of organization:

- Hospital, including general hospital and specialized hospital.

- Infirmaries of People's Public Security Forces.

- Polyclinic.

- Specialized clinic, including:

+ General medicine clinic.

+ Specialized clinic for internal medicine: cardiology, respiratory medicine, gastroenterology, pediatrics and other specialities in internal medicine.

+ Clinic providing healthcare consultancy or clinic providing healthcare consultancy by using information technology and telecommunications.

+ Specialized clinic, including:

+ Antenatal clinic.

+ Clinic of andrology.

+ Clinic of odonto-stomatology.

+ Clinic of otolaryngology.

+ Clinic of ophthalmology.

+ Clinic of cosmetology.

+ Clinic of rehabilitation.

+ Clinic of psychiatry.

+ Clinic of oncology.

+ Clinic of dermatology.

+ Clinic of traditional medicine;

+ Clinic of dietetics.

+ Clinic of drug rehabilitation.

+ Clinic of HIV/AIIDS treatment.

+ Laboratory.

+ Image diagnosis clinic, X-ray room.

+ Opioid substitution treatment clinic which implements the regulations specified in Decree 90/2016/ND-CP.

+ Preventive care clinic.

+ Occupational health clinic.

+ Other specialized clinics.

- Family medicine facilities (or healthcare facilities operated in the principle of family medicine): pilot establishment as prescribed by the Minister of Health of Vietnam.

- Maternity ward.

- Medical service providers, including:

+ Injection, dressing change, pulse counting and temperature and blood pressure measurement service provider.

+ Home healthcare service provider.

+ Facilities providing emergency and patient transportation services in Vietnam or abroad.

+ Optical glasses service provider.

+ Cosmetological service provider.

+ Other healthcare service providers.

- Commune-level health stations, infirmaries.

- Medical assessment facility and forensic examination facility providing medical examination and treatment shall be organized as a health facility specified in Clause 3 of Article 22 of Decree 109/2016/ND-CP. Mental forensics examination facility providing medical examination and treatment shall be organized as a health facility specified in Clause 1 and Clause 3, or Clause 4m of Article 22 of Decree 109/2016/ND-CP. Such facilities shall satisfy the applicable requirements.

- Any medical facility affiliated to an agency, unit or organization which conducts healthcare must be operated in a form specified in Clause 3 or Clause 4a of Article 22 of Decree 109/2016/ND-CP and must comply with the requirements applied to such form of organization.

- Any medical center having a function of conducting medical examination and treatment shall be issued with a license to operate in form of a general hospital or a polyclinic and shall comply with the requirements applied to such form of organization. If the hospital is granted a license to operate in form of a general hospital, it shall be ranked as level IV, if it is granted a license to operate in form of a polyclinic, its rank shall correspond with its scale.

- If the health facilities satisfy the requirements for healthcare service providers specified in this Decree, their scale and practice scope shall be supplemented accordingly.

2. Requirements for issuance of the operating license to polyclinics in Vietnam

According to Article 25 of Decree 109/2016/ND-CP (amended in Decree 155/2018/ND-CP), the conditions for granting a license to operate a polyclinic are as follows:

Aside from the requirements specified in Article 23a of Decree 109/2016/ND-CP (amended in Decree 155/2018/ND-CP), the polyclinics must also satisfy the following requirements:

- Scale of a polyclinic:

+ Have 02 of 04 specialized departments of internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics and pediatrics.

+ Have a paraclinical department (units of testing and image diagnostic).

- Facilities: Have emergency rooms, patient rooms, specialized consulting rooms and minor surgery rooms (if any minor surgery is carried out). The area of the rooms within the polyclinic must be sufficient for performing specialized techniques.

- Have anti-shock first aid kits and sufficient specialized emergency drugs.

- Personnel:

The number of full-time doctors must account for at least 50% of the total number of doctors of the polyclinic.

The persons in charge of the specialized consulting rooms and the paraclinical department (units of testing and image diagnostic) which are affiliated to the polyclinic, must work on a full-time basis.

3. Requirements for issuance of operating licenses to specialized clinics in Vietnam

Requirements for issuance of operating licenses to specialized clinics under Article 26 of Decree 109/2016/ND-CP (amended in Decree 155/2018/ND-CP) as follows:

Aside from the requirements specified in Article 23 of Decree 109/2016/ND-CP (amended in Decree 155/2018/ND-CP) hereof and except those applied to the chief physicians, the specialized clinics must also satisfy the following requirements:

- Facilities:

+ If any operation is conducted, including implanting operation, acupuncture, massage or acupressure, the operation room must be located in a separate area. The area of the operation room must be sufficient for performing specialized techniques.

+ If the specialized clinic conducts both upper and lower gastro-endoscopic techniques, it must have 02 separate rooms.

+ There must be a biochemistry department for diagnosing and treating occupational diseases.

- Medical equipment: Have anti-shock first aid kits and sufficient specialized emergency drugs

Quoc Dat

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