The Ministry of Health received an official dispatch from the Petition Committee and Supervised the response to voters' petitions sent before the 9th Session of the 15th National Assembly, with a number of petitions from voters in Ho Chi Minh City (including petitions from voters in Binh Duong and Ba Ria-Vung Tau provinces before).
In particular, voters are concerned about how the merger and removal at the district level will affect the health system at the district level like Con Dao? Which policies are issued to ensure that the medical team, facilities, resources and especially the health insurance benefits of the people are not interrupted or disadvantaged after the merger?
Not removing or disrupting the existing grassroots health system
Responding to voters, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan said that the merger and suspension of district-level operations is part of the Party and State's policy on the arrangement of administrative units according to Resolution No. 37-NQ/TW dated December 24, 2018 on the arrangement of district and commune-level administrative units.
Conclusions No. 127-KL/TW dated February 28, 2025, 157-KL/TW dated May 25, 2025 and 160-KL/TW dated May 31, 2025 of the Politburo in 2025 clearly affirm: the arrangement of administrative organizations does not interrupt the provision of essential public services, especially health and education.
To implement the unification, the Government issued Resolution No. 74/NQ-CP dated April 7, 2025 on reorganizing local governments according to the two-level model.
On that basis, the Ministry of Health issued Official Letter No. 2147/BYT-TCCB dated April 12, 2025 guiding the orientation of arranging and reorganizing medical facilities at all levels, implementing the 2-level local government organization model.
The general principle is not to eliminate or disrupt the existing grassroots health system, but to reorganize it in accordance with the new government model, ensuring that people continue to have fair and convenient access to health services.
On June 23, 2025, the Ministry of Health issued Circular No. 20/2025/TT-BYT guiding the functions, tasks, and powers of specialized health agencies under the People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities and People's Committees of communes, wards, and special zones under provinces and centrally run cities.
This Circular is an important basis for specific guidance on maintaining and strengthening the district-level health system in the process of merging and rearranging administrative units, contributing to ensuring stable professional operations and health care benefits for the people.
Regarding resource allocation, Minister Dao Hong Lan said that the Ministry of Health is implementing a Project to improve the grassroots health network for the period 2025-2030, including the content of maintaining the payroll, stabilizing the medical team in specific areas, combined with policies to attract and retain human resources such as Decree No. 76/2019/ND-CP dated October 8, 2019 policies for cadres, civil servants, public employees, workers and salary earners in the armed forces working in areas with particularly difficult socio-economic conditions, and Project 585 (issued with Decision No. 585/QD-BYT dated February 20, 2013) on sending young volunteer doctors to work in remote areas, districts and islands.
Investment in facilities and equipment continues to be implemented according to the medium-term investment plan, not affected by administrative mergers.
List of medical examination and treatment facilities in the data system being updated
Regarding the health insurance benefits of the people, Minister Dao Hong Lan said that according to the provisions of Clause 1 and Clause 3, Article 22 of the 2008 Law on Health Insurance, amended and supplemented by Law No. 51/2024/QH15: Regulations on people with health insurance cards still enjoying full benefits according to the correct benefits when going to the place of medical examination and treatment at the new place of medical examination and treatment due to changes in place of residence or due to changes in administrative units (effective from July 1, 2025).
People are still allowed to receive medical examination and treatment at the originally registered place, or be transferred to a higher level according to regulations. The Ministry of Health is coordinating with the Vietnam Social Security to update the list of medical examination and treatment facilities in the data system, ensuring that people's rights are not interrupted by changes in administrative boundaries.
For special areas such as Con Dao, local authorities can continue to propose specific mechanisms to ensure human resource, financial and medical infrastructure conditions.
Policies to support health insurance premiums also continue to be implemented according to the provisions of Decree No. 146/2018/ND-CP dated October 17, 2018 and related guiding documents.
The Ministry of Health will continue to closely coordinate with ministries, branches and localities to monitor, guide and ensure that the arrangement of administrative organizations does not negatively affect the health system, contribute to stabilizing people's lives and ensure fairness in health care for all people.
