According to Dr Duc, many hospitals in Vietnam have proactively adopted international quality standards in recent years, although implementation has largely been concentrated in the private healthcare sector.

Among public hospitals, only a small number, including Hung Vuong Hospital and the Ho Chi Minh City Blood Transfusion and Hematology Hospital, have achieved certain international accreditations.

Dr Duc noted that Vietnamese healthcare already enjoys several advantages compared with international counterparts, particularly in minimally invasive surgery, assisted reproductive technologies such as IVF and dental services.

"An implant tooth procedure in the United States costs around US$5,000, while in Vietnam the cost is only about one-fifth of that amount," he said.

In addition to lower costs and strong professional expertise, Vietnam also offers shorter waiting times.

"In the United States, patients may wait about a year for endoscopic joint replacement surgery. In Vietnam, the procedure can often be arranged within seven days, or even three days," Dr Duc said.

He stressed that standardisation, international integration and improving patient experience have become major trends in hospital quality management worldwide.

Moving beyond compliance-based management

Over recent years, Vietnam's existing hospital quality framework, consisting of 83 standards and 1,600 evaluation criteria, has helped many healthcare facilities improve their operations.

However, health authorities believe the current framework does not yet fully align with international standards.

"We receive requests every day and every week regarding the establishment of professional review councils to handle medical incidents. In some cases, responsibilities are difficult to determine because individual roles are not clearly distinguished," Dr Duc said.

The new framework is expected to provide hospitals and review boards with greater transparency and accountability.

He described the initiative as an important step in shifting from compliance-based management towards modern governance models grounded in risk management and scientific evidence.

Under the proposed standards, patients will be placed at the centre of healthcare delivery, ensuring access to safe, effective, continuous and equitable medical services while placing greater importance on the overall patient experience.

More than 2,000 evaluation criteria

The draft framework consists of three major sections covering clinical care, hospital management and specialty-specific standards.

Together, the system includes eight chapters, 113 standards and 2,026 evaluation criteria.

Hospitals will be assessed under three performance levels: Standard, Advanced and Excellent.

The Excellent designation is designed to reflect performance approaching international standards. To achieve this level, hospitals must fully satisfy all requirements under Levels 1 and 2 while attaining very high compliance rates for Level 3 criteria.

According to Dr Duc, the framework will be updated every two to three years depending on practical needs and developments in healthcare management.

The Ministry of Health expects the new standards to improve patient safety, reduce medical errors, standardise treatment procedures and enhance the overall healthcare experience, thereby strengthening public confidence in the national healthcare system.

Under the proposed roadmap, the Ministry of Health plans to approve the advanced hospital quality standards during 2026.

Pilot assessments will begin in 2027 at hospitals that voluntarily register to participate, with evaluations conducted by assessors selected by the ministry.

By 2028, authorities aim to finalise the official version of the framework and launch a formal hospital quality certification and ranking system.

Between 2029 and 2030, the standards are expected to gain recognition within international accreditation frameworks.

Vo Thu