Vietnam's Hospital Network Planning Strategy 2025–2030

1. Introduction

Vietnam's healthcare system is undergoing a profound transformation to meet growing demands for service quality, equitable access, and operational efficiency. The period from 2025 to 2030 marks a pivotal stage, with a strategic focus on developing a modern, synchronized hospital network centered on patients.

The development plan emphasizes restructuring the examination and treatment system toward regionalization, specialization, and strengthening primary health care. Simultaneously, focused investments in infrastructure, medical technologies, and healthcare workforce capacity are promoted. Socialization policies and private sector investment are also encouraged to mobilize diverse resources for the sector's development.

This strategy not only aims to improve the quality of healthcare services but also contributes to sustainable health development, ensures social security, and promotes comprehensive economic growth.

2. Legal and Policy Framework

The 2025–2030 hospital network planning strategy is grounded in a solid legal foundation, ensuring legality, transparency, and feasibility during implementation. Relevant policies and legal instruments serve not only as a planning framework but also as a directional guide for the sustainable development of the national health system.

2.1 Key Legal Instruments

• Law on Medical Examination and Treatment (No. 15/2023/QH15) – Effective from January 1, 2024, this law is the cornerstone governing medical services. It expands service delivery modes (e.g., mobile, remote, extramural emergency care), decentralizes licensing to provincial Departments of Health, and allows public facilities financial autonomy and service pricing disclosure. It also mandates basic and advanced quality standards, continuing education, professional capacity evaluation, and mechanisms for socialization.

• Decree No. 96/2023/NĐ-CP – Provides detailed guidance on the decentralization of healthcare management, financial mechanisms, and the responsibilities of different government levels in organizing the medical system.

• Resolution No. 20-NQ/TW (2017) – A long-term policy orientation on enhancing public health protection and care, emphasizing the role of socialization and diversification of investment sources in healthcare.

• National Digital Transformation Strategy to 2025, vision to 2030 (Decision No. 749/QĐ-TTg/2020) – Forms the basis for developing smart hospitals, electronic health records, and the application of artificial intelligence in diagnostics and treatment.

2.2 Core Policy Priorities

• Strengthening decentralization and hospital autonomy – Hospitals, especially at provincial and district levels, are granted greater autonomy in finance, human resources, and organizational structure. (Article 108, Law No. 15/2023/QH15).

• Promoting healthcare socialization – Encouraging non-state investment through PPPs, equitization, or joint ventures, as reaffirmed in Resolutions 20-NQ/TW and 19/NQ-TW.

• Improving service quality – Deploying national hospital quality standards and aligning professional management with training and recruitment. Directive 06/CT-BYT provides the basis for continuous quality improvement.

• Developing smart and digital healthcare – Expanding IT application in hospital operations, electronic records, and epidemiological monitoring. Key programs include Electronic Health Records (EHR), Electronic Medical Records (EMR), and paperless hospitals.

3. Strategic Planning Factors

3.1 Geographic Distribution

The spatial distribution of hospitals is vital to ensure comprehensive coverage, equitable access, and responsiveness to regional healthcare needs, especially in rural, mountainous, island, and remote areas.

• Goal per Decision No. 201/QĐ-TTg (2024): Each region must have a general hospital fulfilling regional roles, with specialty centers embedded within general hospitals.

• Specialized hospitals are located based on local disease patterns, demographics, and socioeconomic conditions—for instance, TB and Pulmonary hospitals in high-incidence regions; Oncology centers in areas with high cancer prevalence.

• Grassroots healthcare is strengthened via investments in commune health stations, regional clinics, and district hospitals, reducing overload at higher-level facilities. This aligns with Resolution No. 139/NQ-CP (2017).

3.2 Population Density Considerations

According to Decision No. 201/QĐ-TTg (27/02/2024):

• Bed-to-population targets:

  • By 2025: 33 beds per 10,000 people

  • By 2030: 35 beds per 10,000 people

  • By 2050: 45 beds per 10,000 people

• Future demand forecasting is guided by Resolution No. 81/2023/QH15, Decree No. 37/2019/NĐ-CP, and Decision No. 648/QĐ-TTg (2020). Planning must account for demographic shifts, aging populations, and urbanization.

4. Implementation Roadmap

4.1 Phase 2025–2027

Priorities:

• Upgrading and standardizing infrastructure to ensure connection between national and local healthcare systems, incorporating technology and digital transformation (Decision 201/QĐ-TTg).

• Enhancing workforce capabilities through continuous and specialized training (Resolution 81/2023/QH15).

• Targeted investment in high-density regions to ensure every region has at least one regional general hospital and to upgrade provincial specialty hospitals.

4.2 Phase 2028–2030

Objectives:

• Implementing digital health systems such as electronic medical records, treatment coordination platforms, and integration with national health data (per Decision 201/QĐ-TTg).

• Investing in high-tech equipment (e.g., imaging systems, surgical robots, lab tech) to reduce unnecessary referrals (Resolution 81/2023/QH15).

• Urban infrastructure expansion to increase hospital bed supply and develop satellite clinics in major cities.

5. Challenges and Solutions

5.1 Challenges

• Limited public investment – Widespread infrastructure development requires major funding, but public health budgets are constrained.

• Human resource shortages – Remote areas continue to face shortages of specialized doctors and nurses.

• Regional service disparities – Urban areas benefit from stronger resources than rural/mountainous areas, creating imbalances and referral burdens.

5.2 Solutions

• Strengthening PPP investment to mobilize financial, technological, and managerial resources from the private sector.

• Expanding training and incentives – Scholarships, tuition support, job placement, and improved compensation for medical professionals, especially in remote areas.

• Leveraging technology – AI, big data, and integrated health information systems to enhance governance and reduce administrative burden.

6. Future Outlook

This strategy, under Resolution No. 81/2023/QH15 and detailed by Decision No. 201/QĐ-TTg/2024, aims to build a modern, efficient, and equitable healthcare system.

Targets by 2030:

• 35 beds per 10,000 people

• 19 doctors per 10,000 people

• 4 pharmacists per 10,000 people

• 33 nurses per 10,000 people

• Private sector beds: 15% of total hospital beds

Key goals:

• Alleviate referral pressure through grassroots and satellite facilities

• Upgrade primary care with technology and human resources

• Develop specialized regional centers in HCMC, Hanoi, Da Nang, Can Tho for high-tech diagnostics, treatment, training, and research.

7. Conclusion

The 2025–2030 hospital network planning strategy represents a significant leap in Vietnam’s health sector development. With strong regulatory commitment and active stakeholder engagement, the goal of building an advanced, effective, and equitable national healthcare system is gradually becoming a reality.