Hospitals join forces to improve the quality of medical examination and treatment
In the plan to rearrange the entire health system of Ho Chi Minh City, Saigon General Hospital, one of the oldest medical facilities in the city, will be merged into Gia Dinh People's Hospital from January 1, 2026.
To ensure smooth medical examination and treatment, all functions, tasks, personnel, assets, equipment and related rights and obligations are transferred to the status quo, while medical examination and treatment activities are conducted continuously and uninterruptedly.
Doctor Mai Duc Huy - Deputy Director of Saigon General Hospital - said that this merger was approved and agreed by Ho Chi Minh City from October 14. The hospital and staff completely agree with this.
Previously, in June, Gia Dinh People's Hospital opened a satellite clinic at Saigon General Hospital, starting a comprehensive cooperation roadmap. After the merger, the new facility in the Ben Thanh market area is oriented to develop in-depth in emergency care and medical tourism, meeting the needs of a vibrant urban center.
Also on the list of mergers to optimize medical examination and treatment is the Orthopedic - Rehabilitation Hospital (Hospital 1A) under the Ministry of Health in Ho Chi Minh City. MSc. Dr. Ngo Anh Tuan - Director of the Orthopedic - Rehabilitation Hospital (HCMC) said that the draft to merge the Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Hospital (HCMC) into Thong Nhat Hospital had been previously announced. Currently, the unit has about 300 employees and nearly 400 beds in practice. When we received information about the draft, we held many meetings to collect opinions from staff and employees to ensure a stable spirit and peace of mind in work. The general view is that no matter the model, the task of caring for and treating patients must still be given top priority".
Streamlining but improving operational efficiency
According to the draft plan submitted to the Ministry of Health, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, in addition to merging and converting centers, when completing phase 3 of the reorganization process (expected by December 31, 2025), will have 9 specialized departments, 02 branches and 92 affiliated public service units, a decrease of 32 units compared to July 1, 2025. Of which, 32 general hospitals, 28 specialized hospitals, 05 specialized centers, 13 regional health centers with beds and 14 social protection centers.
In particular, 168 health stations will be converted into public service units under the People's Committees of wards, communes and special zones, marking a deeper decentralization between the Department of Health and local authorities.
Regional health centers are also reshaped in the direction of clear task layering. Accordingly, 25 medical centers in areas without beds will transfer all personnel, facilities, and finances to local health stations, then dissolve them.
13 medical centers in areas with beds will transfer part of their resources to health stations, the rest will be converted to basic hospitals or secondary facilities of general hospitals, depending on actual conditions.
The goal of this arrangement process, according to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, is to focus resources on strong enough focal points, avoid overlap and create conditions for grassroots health care to fully perform the function of primary health care, instead of just for administrative purposes.
Streamlining the apparatus not only helps save operating costs but also forms the foundation for digital transformation and health data connection throughout the city.
According to the assessment of the leaders of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, this is a historic change, not only helping the health sector "shorten the apparatus - strengthen expertise", but also affirming the development orientation: taking people as the center of service, building a modern, synchronous and sustainable health system.
