Cho Ray Hospital has updated its fee schedule, which will take effect on 1/10. This adjustment, approved by the Ministry of Health's Decision on 28/9, incorporates direct costs, labor, and administrative expenses. The new price list was made public on 30/9, accessible via the hospital’s electronic portal, physical boards, digital displays, and tivi screens throughout the campus.

Under the revised structure, the cost for health insurance-covered examinations will rise from 50,600 dong to 52,600 dong. Fees for specialist consultations, particularly for complex cases requiring external experts, will increase from 200,000 dong to 208,000 dong per specialist.

Several services not covered by health insurance will also see price changes. For instance, the fee for medical examinations related to injury certificates and medical assessments (excluding laboratory tests and X-rays) will go from 160,000 dong to 166,400 dong. A comprehensive health check-up for individuals seeking overseas employment will increase from 450,000 dong to 468,000 dong.

Inpatient bed charges are also set to increase. Beds in the intensive care unit (icu), for organ transplants, bone marrow transplants, and stem cell transplants, will cost 1,058 million dong per day, an increase of approximately 41,000 dong. Emergency resuscitation beds will be priced at over 623,000 dong per day, reflecting an increase of about 23,000 dong.

Daily rates for internal medicine beds will range from 261,200 dong to 340,200 dong, while surgical and burn unit beds will cost between 322,800 dong and 458,000 dong. Basic ultrasound fees will increase from 58,600 dong to 61,000 dong. Additionally, thousands of other technical services and laboratory tests are subject to adjustments under the new fee schedule.

Patients wait for examinations at Cho Ray Hospital, 15/9. Photo: *Quynh Tran*

According to a representative from Cho Ray Hospital, patients with health insurance will be responsible for their co-payment and any services not covered by their plan, as per their benefits. Uninsured patients will bear the full cost of services. For on-demand services, patients will pay the difference between the standard new price and the requested service fee.

Patients who are already receiving inpatient or outpatient treatment before the 1/10 implementation date will continue to be charged at the old rates until their discharge or the completion of their current treatment course.

Cho Ray Hospital is a special-grade general hospital operating under the Ministry of Health. It serves as a crucial final-referral facility for severe patients in Southern Vietnam. The hospital typically handles 8,000-9,000 patient visits daily, with numbers occasionally exceeding 10,000 on peak days, such as 7/9, following public holidays.

This adjustment follows a similar move in June, when the Ministry of Health approved service price increases for other specialized hospitals, including Viet Duc Hospital, Central Military Hospital 108, and K Hospital.

*Le Phuong*