At the Vietnam Private Healthcare Development Forum 2026 on 20/8, Professor Nguyen Van De, Chairman of the Vietnam Private Hospital Association, announced that the country currently operates about 450 private hospitals and over 50,000 private clinics. While private hospitals account for about 25% of all hospitals, they represent only about 7% of total beds. In 2025, they served 27.5% of health insurance examinations and treatments, which is equivalent to 53.9 million visits.

The Association has set an ambitious goal to increase the proportion of private hospitals to 50% by 2050. According to De, this expansion is crucial for mobilizing additional social resources to meet the escalating demand for healthcare services. However, the private sector continues to face significant challenges related to land access, capital investment, and securing high-quality human resources. The Association advocates for refining public-private partnership policies to facilitate easier access to land, credit, technology, and to foster an equitable competitive environment.

Nguyen The Manh, Deputy Head of the Central Policy and Strategy Committee, emphasized the private healthcare sector's vital role within the national healthcare system, noting its contribution to sharing healthcare responsibilities with the public sector. He proposed expanding public-private cooperation, removing existing barriers concerning land and capital, and creating favorable conditions for private entities to adopt advanced technology, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation initiatives.

Deputy Minister of Health Do Xuan Tuyen highlighted that while public and private healthcare models differ in funding sources and governance, both must adhere to professional standards, ensure patient safety, and comply with legal regulations. He urged the private sector to broaden its scope beyond medical examination and treatment to include disease prevention, general health care, research, training, and the production of medicines and vaccines. Tuyen also stressed the importance of prioritizing quality improvement over merely increasing quantity.

Doctors and nurses at a private hospital in TP HCM perform an intervention for a patient. *Photo: Hospital provided*

At the forum, Associate Professor, Doctor Tang Chi Thuong, Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, reported that the city currently has 95 private hospitals and 68 public hospitals. The private sector contributes about 7,400 beds, accounting for 15.2% of the total hospital beds, alongside over 11,000 specialized clinics.

Following territorial expansion, TP HCM is guiding healthcare development along three multi-layered, multi-polar, multi-center pillars, with private sector participation spanning from primary care to specialized treatment. The city also aims to relocate high-quality facilities away from central urban areas and to establish comprehensive public-private networks for emergency services, professional expertise, training, research, and data sharing.

"The ultimate goal is not for public or private hospitals to develop more strongly, but for the entire healthcare system to be stronger so that people benefit", said Thuong. Later this year, TP HCM plans to integrate private hospitals and clinics into electronic health records, which will facilitate the interoperability of medical examination and treatment data.

On 19/8, the Vietnam Private Hospital Association launched the Ho Chi Minh City and Southern Provinces Private Hospital Sub-Association. Tran Thi Lam, Founding Chairwoman of Hoa Lam Group, was appointed Chairwoman for the 2026-2029 term. The Sub-Association will serve to connect private hospitals, fostering professional cooperation, technology transfer, digital transformation, and international collaboration.

*Le Phuong*