Comprehensive innovation

Recent years have shown that the health sector in Điện Biên operates amidst many challenges, including a double disease burden with high rates of non-communicable diseases alongside complex infectious diseases. The population aging rate is among the fastest in the country, while climate change and extreme weather directly affect life and health. Despite these obstacles, the health sector has proactively controlled epidemics and gradually improved service quality. The focus remains on comprehensive innovation, from organizational structure and resource allocation to human resource development. Currently, 45 out of 45 communes and wards have health stations, and 100% of these stations have doctors. The network of village health workers, village midwives, and population collaborators continues to operate effectively at the grassroots level.

The year 2025 marked a strong shift in digital transformation. 100% of medical examination and treatment facilities implemented hospital management software and chip-based citizen identity cards for health insurance. Inpatient facilities have completed electronic medical records according to the roadmap of the Government and the Ministry of Health. Most important health indicators have met or exceeded plans, such as the health insurance participation rate reaching 98%, infant vaccination over 95%, and electronic health record management over 65%. Remote medical examination and treatment activities are implemented regularly, contributing to the diagnostic and treatment capacity of local medical teams. Beyond technical quality, the sector emphasizes codes of conduct and medical ethics, taking patient satisfaction as the measure of service quality, which has reached over 91%.

Focusing on the grassroots level

If grassroots health is weak, people must travel far and face high costs, sometimes missing out on timely treatment for emergencies. Therefore, the commune health station is the first point of contact for prevention, vaccination, primary care, and management of non-communicable diseases. Phạm Giang Nam, Director of the Department of Health, affirmed that the consistent spirit is not to let people in remote or extremely difficult areas stand outside the coverage of essential medical services. Health cannot wait for better economic conditions to be invested in; it must be at the center of development from the start.

A breakthrough solution is the rotation of qualified medical personnel from the provincial level to support commune health stations. On December 15, 2025, the department of health organized a deployment of 108 medical staff to 45 commune and ward health stations. This included 55 doctors specializing in internal medicine, pediatrics, emergency resuscitation, and diagnostic imaging, along with 53 preventive officials. This is not just a formal move but ensures substantial efficiency through hands-on guidance and technical transfer to help grassroots teams improve their capacity.

Nguyễn Thụy Sĩ, Head of the Intensive Care and Poison Control Faculty at the provincial General Hospital, was among the first to receive a secondment decision to the Pú Nhung commune health station. He identified this as both a professional task and a matter of affection for the highland people. Work at the commune level differs significantly from the provincial level, requiring doctors to proactively coordinate with local medical teams to implement professional activities effectively. Implementing Resolution 72 is a long-term process requiring the determination of the entire political system, with the health sector as the core. Moving forward, the province has identified three main solution groups: developing high-quality human resources, providing focused investment for grassroots and preventive medicine, and mobilizing community participation in healthcare. Through these specific actions, Điện Biên is step-by-step building an equitable and sustainable system so that every citizen, whether in the highland border or the provincial center, receives continuous and quality care.