Technical and professional levels in the network of health facilities in Vietnam

Technical and professional levels in the network of health facilities in Vietnam (Internet image) 

Regarding this issue, LawNet would like to answer as follows:

1. Technical and professional levels in the network of health facilities in Vietnam

(1) Central level (hereinafter referred to as “level 1”) includes the following health facilities:

- Special-class hospitals;

- Class-I hospitals affiliated to the Ministry of Health;

- Class-I hospitals affiliated to a Provincial Department of Health or another Ministry and assigned by the Ministry of Health to take charge of duties of the highest technical and professional level;

(2) Provincial level (hereinafter referred to as “level 2”) includes the following health facilities:

- Hospitals of class II or lower class and affiliated to Ministry of Health;

- Class-I and Class-II hospitals affiliated to Provincial Departments of Health or other ministries, except the hospitals prescribed in Point c Clause 1 of Article 3 of Circular 43/2013/TT-BYT;

(3) District level (hereinafter referred to as “level 3”) includes the following health facilities:

- Hospitals of Class III, Class IV or unknown class, district medical centers functioned to provide healthcare services in areas where district hospitals are not established, and infirmaries of provincial public security agencies;

- Polyclinics, specialized clinics and maternity wards.

(4) Communal level (hereinafter referred to as “level 4”) includes the following health facilities:

- Medical stations of communes, wards or commune-level towns;

- Dispensaries or medical stations affiliated to specific agencies or organizations;

- Family doctor's clinics.

(5) Technical and professional levels of private health facilities:

The competent authority (affiliated to the Ministry of Health of the Provincial Department of Health) that issues the operating license to the private health facility shall make written decision on technical and professional level of that private health facility based on its capacity to perform medical techniques, scope of professional operations, organizational structure, operating scope, facilities, equipment and personnel as prescribed in Circular 43/2013/TT-BYT.

(Article 3 of Circular 43/2013/TT-BYT)

2. Rules for determination of technical and professional levels in the network of health facilities in Vietnam

- Determination of technical and professional levels in the network of heath facilities refers to the classification of health facilities into corresponding technical and professional levels laid down in Article 81 of the Law on medical examination and treatment.

- A health facility shall be classified into a corresponding technical and professional level based on professional operation requirements, its scope of operation, facilities, equipment, personnel and capacity to perform medical techniques.

- Determination of technical and professional levels shall not adversely influence the technical development of any health facilities.

(Article 2 of Circular 43/2013/TT-BYT)

3. Power to grant approval for lists of medical techniques of health facilities in Vietnam

(1) Minister of Health shall:

- Consider granting approval for lists of initial and additional medical techniques of health facilities affiliated to Ministry of Health, health facilities affiliated to other ministries and private health facilities which operate under license granted by Ministry of Health;

- Consider granting approval for lists of medical techniques of health facilities prescribed in Point b Clause 2 of Article 6 of Circular 43/2013/TT-BYT.

(2) Director of each Provincial Department of Health shall:

- Consider granting approval for lists of initial and additional medical techniques of health facilities affiliated to that Provincial Department of Health, health facilities affiliated to other ministries and operating in this province, and private health facilities which operate under license granted by that Provincial Department of Health, except health facilities prescribed in Point b Clause 1 of Article 6 of Circular 43/2013/TT-BYT.

- If a Provincial Department of Health is incapable of carrying out professional appraisal of a list of medical techniques which is under its competence, the Director of that Provincial Department of Health shall request the Ministry of Health to carry out appraisal and give approval.

(Article 6 of Circular 43/2013/TT-BYT)

Ho Quoc Tuan

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