New ward health station opens in HCM City , pioneers proactive care model

vietnamnews.vn · Mar 1, 2026 · Collected from GDELT

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Leaders of HCM City cut the ribbon at the inauguration ceremony of the Xuân Hòa Ward Health Station headquarters on February 27. — VNA/VNS Photo Đinh HằngHCM CITY — A newly constructed ward health station was inaugurated on February 27 in HCM City’s Xuân Hòa Ward, marking the launch of a pilot model of community-based continuous healthcare teams linked to family medicine, along with cooperation agreements signed with six major hospitals.The Xuân Hòa Ward Health Station covers 558sq.m at No. 18 on Võ Văn Tần Street, with a total floor area of 1,782sq.m.The facility was built at a cost of nearly VNĐ28 billion (US$1.1 million) from the city budget, including construction, medical equipment and synchronised technical infrastructure.Nguyễn Hùng Hậu, chairman of the ward People’s Committee, said the project marked not only a significant milestone for the locality but also a concrete step in implementing the city’s policy to strengthen and improve the quality of grassroots healthcare.“A fast-growing and sustainable urban area must rest on a solid social welfare foundation, in which primary healthcare plays a key role as the frontline in initial health care, disease prevention, management of non-communicable diseases and reducing overload at upper-level hospitals.”The modernisation of the ward health station, coupled with the deployment of the community-based continuous care model, reflects the city’s orientation towards proactive, preventive healthcare with residents placed at the centre, he added.In the coming time, the ward will also pilot an “ATM thuốc” (medicine ATM) model to ensure timely and convenient access to essential drugs, especially for the elderly, patients with chronic diseases and those requiring regular community-based monitoring and treatment.At the event, Xuân Hòa Ward introduced six continuous healthcare teams assigned to specific residential areas. Each team comprises nine to 10 medical staffers and community health collaborators, responsible for managing and monitoring the health of between 6,000 and 6,700 residents.The Xuân Hòa Ward Health Station has been reorganised in a professional and systematic manner. — VNA/VNS Photo Đinh HằngTăng Chí Thượng, director of the city’s Department of Health, said the model is a long-awaited initiative, and Xuân Hòa Ward was selected as the first pilot site in the city, and possibly nationwide.“The name itself reflects a major shift — from a passive model of waiting for patients to visit the station to a proactive approach where teams actively manage residents’ health, classify risk groups and develop appropriate care plans,” he said.Given the ward’s large population, digital transformation tools will be essential for the teams’ operations.The department is working with the ward to build a digital platform to manage residents’ health data.“Initial challenges are inevitable but the department will coordinate closely with the ward authorities to resolve emerging issues and ensure the model’s effective operation,” he said.A resident of Xuân Hòa Ward receives health check-ups and ongoing care management at the local health station on February 27. — VNA/VNS Photo Đinh HằngResidents in each area will be provided with contact details of assigned doctors for 24/7 consultation, with particular attention to elderly patients.The department has also called on upper-level hospitals to refer discharged patients back to local health stations for continued monitoring and follow-up care.This year would be a key year for further investment in strengthening grassroots healthcare across the city, and other wards and communes are encouraged to register to pilot the model, he said.On the occasion, the Xuân Hòa Ward Health Station signed memoranda of understanding with six major medical institutions in the city to enhance professional capacity.They include Gia Định People’s Hospital, Eye Hospital, Ear-Nose-Throat Hospital, Dermatology Hospital, HCM City Traditional Medicine Hospital, and Pasteur Institute in HCM City. — VNS