Patients insecure about province- and district-level hospitals in Vietnam
04-Nov-15, Tuoi Tre News
A survey by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper of over 100 patients in Ho Chi Minh City revealed that most are willing to incur the difficulties of distance, high cost, and waiting time as long as they can have their health symptoms and diseases diagnosed and treated.
%20Tuoi%20Tre%20News.jpg "Patients insecure about province and district level hospitals in Vietnam (c) Tuoi Tre News")
Image: Tuoi Tre News
Most people believe that doctors and health staff of the “high-ranking” hospitals are better trained and more skillful.
In Vietnam, hospitals are generally divided into two grades. Those at district and province levels are considered the lower grade and central hospitals belong to the higher grade.
But to have the cost of treatment covered by health insurance, a patient must come to a local, low-level clinic first. Admission into a higher-grade infirmary is only accepted if he is recommended by the lower-grade one.