In compliance with the Politburo’s Decision 46/NQ/TW on protection and promotion of people’ s health in current situation, with the permission of the Ministry of Heath, the National Hospital of Pediatrics (NHP) organized a conference on direction of pediatric outreach work at NHP on May 22nd 2008.

Attending the conference were H.E Doctor Tran Chi Liem, Vice Minister of Health, officials from different departments of the Ministry of Health and over 160 participants who are leaders of provincial health services, hospitals, children’s departments and of international organizations.

Reports on pediatric outreach work presented by NHP as the leading body of the Northern provincial hospitals and the Children’s Hospital No. 1 in Hochiminh City as the leading body of the Southern provincial hospitals pointed out remarkable achievements through workshops, training courses and direct technological transferring in pediatric emergency, premature resuscitation, open hearth surgery, endocscopic surgery, etc…

Nevertheless, a variety of challenges are facing the two leading hospitals: overcrowd of patients, lack of pediatric workers. There are now about 84 million population, children under 15 years of age accounting for 36% of the population but children’s hospital beds make up only 15%. The between pediatricians and general physicians is only 11% whereas that fixed by the ministry of health is 20-25% ( according to 2006 statistics).

The conference was then addressed by participants from Kontum, Daknong, Bentre, Thanh Hoa, Lai Chau, etc… and planned future actions such as regional hierarchy, hi-techs for lower levels, better supervision, …

PhD. Dr Ly Ngoc Kinh, Director of Department for Curative Administration made a speech emphasizing the important role of pediatric outreach work and promised that proper allocation of budget for the work would be made by the Ministry of Health.

Dang Tu, M.D, PhD
Translated by Dang Cao Kham