VietNamNet Bridge – The health industry will develop a medical insurance network across the country by 2020, Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said at the opening of the 63rd Pacific Western Conference of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Hanoi on Monday.

At the conference, Tuyen admitted that the quality of the country’s healthcare services is still poor and that nationwide medical insurance coverage still remains modest, at over 64% of the population.

The local health industry is facing many difficulties and challenges in the context that the nation is at risk of falling into the poverty-trap and the gap of medical services access between localities and regions is widening, Tuyen said.

She told the conference: “The Government has made firm commitments to carry out the road map of nationwide health insurance development, such as mobilizing locals to join the program and financing insurance premiums for the poor, children aged under six and other targeted people,” Tuyen noted.

Doctor Shin Young-soo, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific, said the current medical policies of Vietnam indicate the country is moving forward in the right direction. He noticed Vietnam has achieved all its millennium targets in terms of healthcare activities in the 2012-2015 period, promising to make all-out efforts to help the nation overcome the challenges.

The conference, which is being attended by 350 representatives coming from 35 nations in the region, finishes on Friday.

VietNamNet/SGT