The Ministry of Health (MOH) proposed the hotline in a draft plan for pre-hospital emergency system development from 2025-2030. This is Vietnam's first pre-hospital emergency plan, addressing the sector's significant challenges.

The proposed national hotline would use a single number, integrating existing emergency numbers. Operating 24/7, it would connect online with emergency medical services, fire departments, traffic police, and rescue forces. It would utilize information technology, artificial intelligence, and big data to locate callers, categorize calls by urgency, and store and analyze data for regional emergency needs assessments and forecasts.

By 2030, the plan aims to establish a legal framework for pre-hospital emergency operations, ensuring all provinces and cities have complete pre-hospital emergency systems. It also aims to approve and implement standardized training programs and certifications for pre-hospital emergency personnel, ensuring 100% of staff are certified and all emergency vehicles meet standards. The plan also targets training two million people in community-based pre-hospital emergency care.

The plan will be implemented in two phases. From 2025-2027, a pilot program will run in six locations: Bac Ninh, Hai Phong, Ha Tinh, Da Nang, Khanh Hoa, and An Giang. From 2027-2030, the program will expand nationwide, standardizing the pre-hospital emergency system.

An ambulance travels on a Da Nang street. Photo: Nguyen Dong

According to the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management, Vietnam's pre-hospital emergency system has gradually developed, with 115 emergency centers in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and other major provinces. The Hanoi 115 Emergency Center transports approximately 30,000 patients annually and saved 123 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest cases between 2019 and 2024. During the Covid-19 pandemic alone, it conducted over 12,000 emergency trips. Ho Chi Minh City has established a network of satellite emergency stations, handling hundreds of thousands of calls each year.

However, this system faces several challenges. There's no dedicated national strategy for pre-hospital emergencies, and health insurance doesn't cover these services, hindering operations. Coordination is inconsistent nationwide. The 115 hotline primarily receives calls and dispatches teams, without initially triaging patients, and service coverage remains low.

Around 80% of personnel lack standardized training and specific pre-hospital emergency certification. Limited compensation leads to staff shortages. Regarding equipment, about 60% of districts have ambulances, but 70% don't meet international standards. The ratio of new ambulances is 0.2 per 100,000 people, much lower than Singapore (0.8) or Japan and Taiwan (2-3).

The average response time exceeds international standards (under eight minutes in urban areas, under 15 minutes in rural areas), and the patient survival rate after emergency care hasn't reached the recommended 65%. There's no unified system for assessing pre-hospital emergency quality.

To address these issues and standardize the pre-hospital emergency system, the MOH developed this plan for 2025-2030. The goal is to enhance emergency response capabilities, ensuring equitable and rapid access to pre-hospital emergency services for everyone, aligning with international standards for community healthcare.

Le Nga