Editor’s note: The draft political report by the 13th Central Committee, currently open for public consultation, highlights improvements in national life expectancy and average health indices. By 2025, life expectancy from birth is expected to reach 74.8 years, with about 67 years in good health.

However, the report also acknowledges the continued limitations of Vietnam’s healthcare system - especially in grassroots and preventive medicine. As the country undergoes rapid demographic aging, a lack of dedicated infrastructure, equipment, and human resources for elderly care presents significant obstacles.

To reflect the urgent demand and growing pressure on the healthcare system, VietNamNet launches a series titled “Vietnam faces critical shortfall in elderly care facilities”, aiming to highlight the current gaps and propose solutions for building a sustainable elderly healthcare network.

Minimal geriatric services, heavy reliance on families

Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan revealed that the government allocates approximately 28 trillion VND (around 1.13 billion USD) annually for monthly social allowances and health insurance premiums for vulnerable groups, including older adults.

Dr. Truong Hong Son, Director of the Vietnam Institute of Applied Medicine and Secretary-General of the Vietnam Medical Association, told VietNamNet that, aside from a modest number of geriatric departments at central and provincial hospitals, most grassroots facilities have no geriatric specialization.

“When we asked local health station staff whether they had received geriatric training, the answer was mostly no - they had only received general internal medicine training,” Dr. Son explained. This is concerning, he noted, since commune health stations are the closest point of contact for elderly citizens.

Healthcare services for the elderly in Vietnam remain seriously underdeveloped. Shortages range from hospitals, health centers, and local clinics to nursing homes, social welfare centers, equipment, and facilities. Specialized personnel such as geriatric doctors, nurses, technicians, and caregivers are in short supply - most care still relies heavily on family members, whose availability is declining.

Knowledge in geriatrics is also lacking across the healthcare system.

A senior geriatric doctor shared with VietNamNet that even provincial hospitals are hesitant to invest in specialized geriatric training. “Among top residency students, none choose geriatrics - it’s not a sought-after field,” the doctor said.

“Low financial incentives and limited career prospects are part of the reason. Geriatrics is not prioritized like infectious diseases, tuberculosis, or mental health. Fundamentally, it’s about insufficient investment.”

Leaders at the Ministry of Health’s Department of Science, Technology, and Training admit that geriatrics has not received adequate attention. Only two universities - Hanoi Medical University and Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy - offer geriatrics as a formal specialization, but neither has established a dedicated training program or official academic code for the field.

Proposals to expand elderly healthcare and train caregivers

To build a multi-tiered elderly healthcare network with diverse models - from home care to community centers and residential facilities - the Ministry of Health has drafted a master plan titled: “Developing community and facility-based elderly healthcare workforce by 2030, with vision to 2045.”

One notable feature of the proposal is the creation of community health teams at the ward and commune level. These would include medical personnel, population collaborators, and members of the Elderly Association, tasked with providing health checkups, nutrition counseling, rehabilitation support, and mental health care directly at residents’ homes.

In terms of human resources, the plan suggests officially recognizing the “elderly care worker” profession in Vietnam’s occupational list. It also recommends launching a formal education track from vocational to university level. By 2030, at least 30% of vocational schools should offer this training, and 50% of commune-level clinics should have nurses dedicated to elderly care.

Additionally, day-care centers for the elderly would be established at district health centers and traditional medicine and rehabilitation facilities. These centers would provide chronic disease management, physical training, mental wellness, and support for daily living activities.

Under the draft Population Law, the Ministry of Health proposes various policies to develop the geriatric workforce, including scholarships for those already working at medical institutions.

To establish a geriatric ward, a hospital needs a minimum of 30 beds and at least six doctors. Vietnam’s public hospitals would require over 8,000 geriatric doctors. With training costs estimated at 37 million VND (about 1,500 USD) per year and a two-year training duration, the total budget would exceed 600 billion VND (about 24.3 million USD).

If the government supports 50% of tuition fees for geriatric healthcare training (including doctors, nurses, care assistants, and rehab technicians), it would cost 1.8 billion VND (around 73,000 USD) to train 100 people per year. Full tuition support would raise this to 3.7 billion VND (approximately 150,000 USD).

Vo Thu