VietNamNet Bridge – Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam asked the National Committee for Elderly People to raise the number of elderly people with health insurance cards to average level of the country’s at a meeting on March 15.

Illustrative image -- File photo

It’s becoming more important to care for the older people's health because the country has 500,000 more elderly people every year.

The number of older people is increasing while the birthrate has dropped hence the rate of population has placed pressure on healthcare sector; therefore, it needs to cover health insurance for the whole population in the country soon.

The rate of Vietnamese health insurance holders is only 76 percent of the population. Worse, the rate of elderly people with health insurance cards is 60 percent.

Accordingly, the Vietnam Association of Elderly, the health sector and the health insurance must pay more attention on the matter and all agencies and unions must make concerted effort to raise the number of aged people equal to the average level of the countries, said the deputy PM.

For the future, the number of kids and senior people must be higher so that they can enjoy regular medical check-up to early detect the illness, he added.

The Vietnam Association of Elderly, Vietnam Health Insurance and the health sector in coordination with the Vietnam Fatherland Front, the Farmer Association and the Women Association need to carry out a program to be carried out in 2016 to encourage people to buy health insurance cards for senior people.

Vietnam launched the action month for senior people for the first time in 2015.

In the month, nearly 90,000 elderly people have been given free medical check-up, consultation and medicine totally worth VND49 billion (US$ 2,184,088). Additionally, 49 charity houses were built for elderly people and 253,000 gifts were given to elderly people across the country.

SGGP