10-Oct-16 As state spending on health continues to increase - in the 2015-16 fiscal year it increased 7% - demand for private and specialist services are also expected to increase as the middle class grows. With this comes an opportunity for the private sector to work with the public sector, NGOs and the government to improve the situation across the country. [image: Aye Zaw Myo / World Bank / CC BY-NC-ND]

10-Oct-16 Vietnam's health insurance coverage will reach around 79% by the end of 2016 compared to the target of 76%, Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien reported. The Minister said the sector is also likely to surpass the target for hospital beds per 10,000 people, estimated to reach 25 beds per 10,000, while the goal is 24.5. [image: VNA]

09-Oct-16 Medical tourism to Thailand from the UAE is expected to remain strong despite changes to Abu Dhabi health insurance policies. In Apr-16, the Health Authority cut benefits to encourage medical treatment in Abu Dhabi. "We have seen no impact yet of the changes in health insurance policies in Abu Dhabi," said Tanes Petsuwan from Tourism Authority of Thailand. [image: Saeed Khan / AFP]

07-Oct-16 The WHO continues to rank Vietnam among the countries with the highest rate of cancer fatalities. Patient numbers are forecast to reach 190,000 cases in 2020, compared to just 68,000 in 2000. Every year, around 115,000 people in Vietnam die of cancer, equal to 315 per day. Lung, liver, stomach, rectum and breast cancer were the biggest killers. [image: Vietnam Net]

01-Oct-16 By using technology to let staff check out medical equipment like supermarket produce, Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore saves 4,640 manpower hours a year. It is rolling out an inventory management system in general wards. With Singapore's greying population, such innovations help mitigate the shortage of healthcare professionals, said Minister of State for Manpower Teo Ser Luck. [image: Healthcare Purchasing News]