First hospital in HCM City meets breastfeeding practice standards

The Maternal and Child Health Department under the Ministry of Health and the Alive and Thrive Programme on November 20 presented the certificate of hospital with excellent breastfeeding practice to Hung Vuong Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City.
First hospital in HCM City meets breastfeeding practice standards ảnh 1A representative of the Hung Vuong Hospital receives the certificate of merit (Photo: VNA)
HCM City (VNA) – The Maternal and Child HealthDepartment under the Ministry of Health and the Alive and Thrive Programme onNovember 20 presented the certificate of hospital with excellent breastfeedingpractice to Hung Vuong Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City.

This is the fifth in Vietnam and the first in HCM City toreceive the certificate, which recognises the facilities’ efforts in practicingthe process of early care for newborn and supporting breastfeeding activities.

According to Doctor Hoang Thi Diem Tuyet, Director of HungVuong Hospital, in face of the low rate of breastfeeding mothers due to theirinadequate knowledge of the practice, the hospital has pioneered in givingconsultations to mothers on its benefit and supporting them in the field, thuschanging their awareness and helping them with breastfeeding in the hospitaland at home.

In the first three quarters of 2019, over 80 percent ofmothers giving birth in the hospital enjoy skin-to-skin contact with theirbabies continuously within 90 minutes right after their birth and have theirfirst breast milk.

As many as 92 percent of mothers giving birth in the hospitalgave positive feedback of breastfeeding consultations given by the hospital, andover 70 percent of them practiced exclusive breastfeeding while staying in thehospital.

Roger Mathisen, Director of Alive and Thrive in SoutheastAsia, said that thanks to the hospital’s efforts in assisting mothers tobreastfeed their children, the rate of breastfeeding mothers in the hospitalrose considerably in the first nine months of this year.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Duc Vinh, head of the Maternal and ChildHealth Department, noted that in Vietnam, 95 percent of mothers give birth inhealth care facilities, facilitating communications on breastfeeding.

Successful breastfeeding does not depend on only mothers,but also require supports from the families, community and healthcare staff, hestressed.

On August 6, the Health Ministry issued regulationsdetailing the criteria and procedure to recognise hospitals with excellentbreastfeeding practice, contributing to improving healthcareservices for mothers and children./.
VNA

See more

Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan and US Ambassador to Vietnam Jennifer McNamara Wick sign the memorandum of understanding on health cooperation. (Photo: US Embassy in Vietnam)

Vietnam, US launch five-year health cooperation

The cooperation will also support Vietnam in strengthening its healthcare capacity and gradually enhancing self-reliance in HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis prevention and control programmes, as well as in responding to emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.

Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health Tang Chi Thuong (third, right) presents flowers to congratulate six young doctors who have volunteered to work at grassroots-level health stations (Photo: VNA)

Ho Chi Minh City strengthens grassroots healthcare workforce

Ho Chi Minh City's Department of Health on September 10 reviewed a pilot programme combining hospital-based practice with work at grassroots health stations and organised the fourth healthcare job fair, attracting nearly 1,000 candidates and 94 recruiters offering 806 positions.

Children undergo health screening. (Photo: Dong Da General Hospital in Hanoi)

Vietnam to screen students nationwide for five health risks from 2028

Vietnam will launch nationwide screening for five groups of school-related diseases and health conditions among students from preschool through high school from 2028, including overweight and obesity, refractive errors, spinal curvature, oral diseases and mental health disorders.

A doctor provides dental checkup for a student. (Photo: VNA)

Free health checkups for children ahead of new school year

According to the Hanoi Department of Health, the city has 4,776 educational institutions with more than 2.2 million preschool and school students. The health campaign will run from August 18 to September 4, targeting 100% coverage before the new school year begins.

Spraying insecticide to prevent dengue fever in Dan Hoa commune, Hanoi. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi steps up dengue prevention as cases rise

According to the Hanoi Centre for Disease Control (CDC), 316 dengue cases were recorded across 74 communes and wards in the city from August 7-14, up 81 from the previous week. Eleven new outbreaks were also reported, bringing the total number since the beginning of 2026 to 63, with 24 still active.

Screening and early cancer detection using advanced medical equipment at a healthcare facility (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam targets Southeast Asia’s leading medical tourism position by 2030

Medical tourists to Vietnam currently mainly comprise overseas Vietnamese and visitors from Cambodia, Laos, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Australia and several European countries. Popular services include cosmetic dentistry, assisted reproduction, aesthetic medicine, general health check-ups and some advanced medical specialties.

An ambulance from the pre-hospital emergency care service in Phu Quoc special zone in An Giang province. (Photo: VNA)

Pre-hospital emergency care system to be launched nationwide

From 2027, the national pre-hospital emergency management platform will be put into operation, connecting data with the 113, 114 and 115 emergency call systems to facilitate rapid emergency dispatch and improve public access to emergency services.

Foreign patients travel to Vietnam for robotic cancer surgery at one-tenth of US costs

Foreign patients travel to Vietnam for robotic cancer surgery at one-tenth of US costs

With robot-assisted surgery costing tens of thousands of dollars in the US and Singapore, a growing number of international patients are traveling to Vietnam for robotic cancer surgery, including procedures for prostate, gynecological and gastrointestinal cancers, using the US made da Vinci Xi system at costs starting from just 3,000 USD.