Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) This change comes in the wake of the MoH's Circular 13/2023, which details thepricing for medical examination and treatment services, and became effective onAugust 15.
At the Hanoi-based Viet Duc Hospital, close to 1,500 medical services areclearly displayed, with their prices listed both before and after theimplementation of this circular.
A reporter from the Nguoi lao dong (TheLabourer) newspaper noted that the majority of the service prices are eitherequal to or less than the maximum rates established by the MoH. These pricesare substantially lower compared to the rates that this hospital previouslycharged.
Under the new pricing scheme, the cost of on-demand medical examinations at theViet Duc Hospital has been set at 500,000 VND (21 USD) for various types ofrequests. For individuals with health insurance, the fee is reduced to 461,000 VND(19 USD).
In the past, the maximum charge for an on-demand medicalexamination and treatment at the Viet Duc Hospital, when requested fromexperts, was 2 million VND (84 USD).
There have also been significant reductions in the prices ofnumerous other technical services. For example, the cost of a thyroidultrasound has decreased from 300,000 VND (12 USD) to 291,000 VND, an ovarianultrasound from 500,000 VND to 287,000 VND, and treatment for disc herniationfrom 13 million VND (549 USD) to nearly 2.4 million VND (101 USD).
Furthermore, the prices for many surgical services, which are aspecialty of the Viet Duc Hospital, have been substantially lowered. Forinstance, the price for chronic ischemic surgery has been reduced from 43million VND (1,800 USD) to nearly VND13 million (548 USD).
Duong Duc Hung, the director of the hospital, confirmed that thehospital had not increased the price for any on-demand services.
Despite these significant price reductions, the quality of service provided bythe hospital remained unchanged.
"The hospital will improve quality to ensure patients’ interests, thequality of medical examination and treatment is the priority," said Hung.
Similarly, at the Hanoi Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital,starting from August 15, the cost of a caesarean section for a first deliveryhas been reduced from 16 million VND (675 USD) to just over 6.7 million VND (283USD), while for a second delivery, the price is now set at 7.6 million VND.
For normal births, the service price has been lowered from 14million VND to 4.3 million VND.
A medical expert, explaining the considerable drop in prices formany on-demand services, suggested that previously, hospitals might have beencharging for the highest-quality supplies and fully accounting for inflation intheir calculations.
This is the first time the MoH has issued a circular concerning prices foron-demand medical examination and treatment. As such, the expert anticipatedthat these prices would likely be adjusted annually, taking into account theminimum salary and inflation.
The prices of on-demand medical examination and treatment servicesat various hospitals in HCM City remained unchanged after August 15.
A representative from HCM City Children's Hospital No 1 statedthat the hospital was applying its old price list. The unit was in the processof reviewing the prices in order to make adjustments, after which it wouldsubmit the proposed new prices to the municipal Department of Health forapproval.
Tran Van Khanh, the director of Le Van Thinh Hospital in Thu Duc city,mentioned that the hospital was maintaining its old price list and had alsoinstalled new amenities, such as televisions and air conditioners, to enhancepatient comfort.
Considering the ongoing hardships faced by residents after two years of theCOVID-19 pandemic, Khanh said that the hospital had opted not to increaseprices at this time./.
VNA
