Upgraded electronic system for TB information management launched

The Central Lung Hospital and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) on November 30 launched the upgraded Vietnam Tuberculosis (TB) information management electronic system (Vitimes).
Upgraded electronic system for TB information management launched ảnh 1At the launching ceremony (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – The Central Lung Hospital and theUS Agency for International Development (USAID) on November 30 launched the upgradedVietnam Tuberculosis (TB) information management electronic system (Vitimes).

According to Dr. Dinh Van Luong, Director of the CentralLung Hospital, the Vitimes, which was developed by the National TB Programme in2010, has been run in the 63 cities and provinces nationwide as well as more than900 medical facilities at the district level.

Its main function is to manage important reports and data ofthe National TB Programme, serving monitoring, supervision, scientific research,planning, and decision making.

However, the data on Vitimes is mainly about susceptible TBwith a shortage of components on drug-resistant TB, latent TB, contactmanagement as well as a lack of connection and data exchange with other systemssuch as those of the Vietnam Social Security, hospital management software(HIS), electronic information system of the HIV Programme or test datamanagement software of the National TB Programme, said Luong.

Since 2019, the USAID has worked with the National TB Programme to support the Vietnamese Governmentto detect, treat and detect, report people with undetected TB in the community,with the upgrading of the Vitimes to supervise the National TB Programme in acomprehensive manner.

The upgraded Vitimes is a comprehensive electronic information system on TB,fully integrated with subsystems, including data modules, detection management,treatment of susceptible TB, drug-resistant TB and latent TB.

The upgrading of the system helps the National TB Programme standardisethe management and monitoring system, making it ready to exchange data withmany other systems at present and in the future, facilitating the management,provision and analysis of data, thus ensuring that decisions are made in a moretimely and accurate way.

USAID's Mission Director for Vietnam Aler Grubbs said thatin the future, the agency and the National TB Programme will continue to teamup to ensure that all levels in the TB prevention and control system from thecentral level to provinces, districts and communes have sufficient capacity toreach vulnerable community groups and provide high-quality healthcare servicesto the needy.

This is also USAID's commitment to support Vietnam inmaintaining TB control, aiming to reduce the TB incidence rate by 90% and theTB fatality rate by 95% compared to 2015, ensuring that no households have to bearthe costs of disasters caused by TB, moving towards the goal of ending TB by2035./.
VNA

See more

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.

Under a phased rollout beginning in 2026, every resident in Ho Chi Minh City will receive at least one annual health check-up or health screening. (Photo: VNA)

Ho Chi Minh City develops integrated multi-tier healthcare system

Under the new model, healthcare is organised into interconnected levels based on people's needs rather than administrative boundaries. Patients can move seamlessly between levels while their electronic health records and treatment information remain connected through digital platforms, referral systems, telemedicine, electronic medical records, and integrated health databases.

Doctors conduct heart and lung examinations for workers. (Photo: VNA)

Draft policy encourages people to prepare for old age from middle age

A draft circular guiding the implementation of the National Target Programme on Health Care, Population and Development (2026-2035) marks a shift from focusing solely on elderly care to encouraging healthy and independent ageing through early preparation. It covers healthy lifestyles, regular health check-ups, financial planning, suitable employment and home-based elderly care skills.