The north central region targets covering at least 95 percent ofnear-poor local citizens with health insurance by the end of 2015, with98 percent protected the following year.

Afunction, held in central Thua Thien-Hue province on May 22, reviewedthe region’s healthcare assistance project which includes giving healthinsurance aid to near-poor households.

ProjectDirector Nguyen Nam Hung, Director of the Thua Thien-Hue Department ofHealth, said the project has increased the insurance coverage ofnear-poor people, whose incomes lie above but still very close to thepoverty line, over the four years.

About 10 percent,or over 6,700 of the local near-poor people, have not bought healthinsurance, he noted, adding that the project management board willstrongly provide premium support and enhance communication activities toraise public awareness of insurance benefits.

In2015, the board will keep the assistance at the same level as that oflast year. Seventy percent of the financial aid comes from the Statebudget, another 15 percent from provincial budgets, and 5-10 percentfrom project funding, Hung said.

The project,implemented from 2010 to the end of 2016, aims to promote the quality ofmedical examinations, treatment and preventive medicine and boostaccess to medical services. It has also provided local hospitals andclinics with new equipment, built infrastructure, and provided trainingfor medical staff.

By the end of 2014, the projecthad raised the rate of near-poor people covered by health insurance inThua Thien-Hue to 89.2 percent from 69.8 percent in 2011.-VNA