The new management model has initially demonstrated closer ties between grassroots authorities and health operations, creating conditions for healthcare to stay close to local areas and residents’ practical needs.

Following administrative boundary rearrangement, Sính Phình commune has over 16,300 residents living across 18 villages, the majority of whom belong to ethnic minorities. An expansive territory and dispersed population make bringing medical services closer to the people a crucial requirement, particularly for target groups needing regular monitoring and healthcare.

The Sính Phình commune Health Station currently has 1 main station and 2 satellite health points with 19 cadres and staff members. Following the transfer to the commune People’s Committee management, the station proactively advised the Party committee and local authorities on formulating work plans and programs, assigning staff to cover each area, and collaborating with mass organizations to monitor public health, oversee disease control, manage non-communicable diseases, and strengthen population communication.

Doctor Thào A Lồng, in charge of Sính Phình commune Health Station, stated that transferring to the commune People’s Committee management has facilitated coordination in carrying out local health duties. The station can proactively advise grassroots authorities and assign staff to stay close to local areas, promptly monitoring the situation and deploying epidemic prevention and healthcare activities right at the grassroots. To date, health and population duties across the commune have been implemented synchronously; epidemic conditions remain stable, with no major outbreaks or dangerous infectious diseases recorded.

Staying close to local areas has enabled healthcare activities to proceed effectively. As of the end of July 2026, the Sính Phình commune Health Station ranked 9th out of 45 commune and ward health stations in implementing universal health checkups. The station examined and treated over 3,700 patient visits, conducted village communication sessions for more than 3,200 participants, carried out home visits and counseling for 108 participants across 76 households, and performed health checkups and management for 620 elderly visits.

At the Pu Nhi commune Health Station, medical examination, treatment, health insurance medication distribution, vaccination, and epidemic prevention have been maintained regularly. On average, the station receives around 1,200 to 1,300 visits each month for checkups and medication, primarily consisting of the elderly and patients with hypertension and diabetes.

Highland terrain, difficult transportation, and substantial healthcare demands place a growing workload on grassroots medical staff. However, coordination among local authorities, the health station, and upper-level facilities has helped maintain monitoring, management, and treatment of patients, ensuring healthcare activities run continuously.

Nguyễn Đình Minh, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Pu Nhi commune, stated that despite organizational changes, the locality determined that public healthcare must remain continuous. The commune People’s Committee coordinates with the health station to resolve emerging difficulties promptly, creating conditions regarding facilities, personnel, and necessary resources so residents can access medical services conveniently. Thereby, grassroots health management and care have become increasingly aligned with citizens’ actual needs.

In villages far from the center, that shift is felt even more clearly through residents’ ability to access healthcare right where they live.

From Huổi Chan 1 village, Lường Thị Phích visited the Mường Pồn Satellite Health Point for a medical checkup. For residents living far from central areas like Lường Thị Phích, a satellite health point operating close to residential areas helps reduce travel time and expenses, providing greater convenience for medical checkups, health consultations, or examinations. Without having to travel long distances during illness, residents receive guidance on disease prevention, health monitoring, and access to local healthcare programs from medical staff.

“The health point is close to the village, so when we fall ill, we can get examined right away without traveling far. Residents here also feel more secure because medical staff are close by, making consultations or checkups very convenient,” Lường Thị Phích shared.

Since July 1, 2026, 45 commune and ward health stations and 67 satellite health points across the province have officially come under the management of commune-level People’s Committees. In the initial phase, health stations focused on consolidating organization, maintaining professional operations, and ensuring uninterrupted medical examination, treatment, epidemic prevention, and public healthcare. Shifting managerial oversight to the commune level enables local governments to directly monitor healthcare conditions and needs while coordinating the handling of emerging issues locally.

According to Phạm Giang Nam, Director of the Department of Health, in the coming time, the health sector will continue collaborating with commune and ward People’s Committees in managing and organizing health station activities; strengthening professional, technical, and operational guidance, inspection, and supervision; and organizing training and technology transfers to elevate grassroots medical staff capacity. The sector will also coordinate with localities to untie bottlenecks regarding health insurance checkups, pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, and health programs, while reinforcing professional and technical support in epidemic prevention and emergency handling.

After nearly two months of operation, health station activities have remained fundamentally stable. Management is closely tied to local areas, allowing grassroots governments to be more proactive in coordinating public healthcare; medical staff stay close to the people and implement tasks tailored to each locality; while the health sector continues to secure its professional guidance and support role. This serves as the foundation for commune and ward health stations to better fulfill their front-line role, bringing healthcare services close to the people and responding promptly to public needs.