Speaking at a meeting with the Ministry of Health on 14/4, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung stated that the government is resolutely addressing long-standing projects, including the second facilities of Bach Mai Hospital and Viet Duc Friendship Hospital.

According to the Prime Minister, the main issues for both projects involve coordination among the Ministry of Health and other ministries and sectors. He directed the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Construction, Ministry of National Defense, and Ministry of Public Security to mobilize resources and expedite the completion of construction documents, fire prevention and fighting certifications, and environmental permits to enable the facilities' use. "The two hospitals must be operational in Q2 2026," he emphasized, tasking the Ministry of Health with finalizing a special operating mechanism within April.

The Prime Minister also instructed the Ministry of Health to review assigned tasks and projects related to the implementation of the Resolution of the 14th Party Congress, Politburo's Resolution 57 and Resolution 72, the Central Committee's Conclusion 18, and resolutions from the National Assembly and the Government, focusing on key tasks for 2026.

Additionally, the Ministry of Health needs to promptly finalize the draft revised Food Safety Law and strengthen state management functions for food safety. It should also develop a plan for free annual health check-ups or screenings for citizens, prioritizing early implementation in 2026 in remote areas. Concurrently, the ministry must review and reorganize the pharmaceutical distribution system to be scientific and effective.

Regarding the implementation of Resolution 57, the Prime Minister directed the Ministry of Health to complete "accurate, complete, clean, and live" databases by Q2 2026. These databases include data on: children, healthcare facility environment, preventive medicine, people with disabilities, medical examination and treatment, social assistance, and food safety. The ministry is also required to reduce and simplify administrative procedures, business conditions, and conditional business sectors, aiming to decrease compliance time and costs for citizens and businesses.

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung works with the Ministry of Health, morning of 14/4. Photo: Nhat Bac

Previously, Health Minister Dao Hong Lan informed the National Assembly on 10/4 that while the construction of Bach Mai 2 and Viet Duc 2 hospitals has been completed to a high quality, they have not been put into use after 10 years due to obstacles related to finalization, fire prevention and fighting, and technical requirements.

According to the Minister, significant difficulties arose from violations during the contract signing phase, hindering a definitive resolution. A key bottleneck is the fire prevention and fighting standards; the facilities were built under old regulations, but the assessment must apply new standards, necessitating design adjustments, dismantling of some items, and re-execution of the approval process.

The verification process also encountered issues, as many contents no longer align with current regulations, preventing the finalization of the settlement value and payments to contractors.

The two projects, initiated in 2015, were designed to have one thousand beds each and are located in Ninh Binh, intended to alleviate the burden on existing facilities. However, construction ceased in early 2021, leading to the degradation of some components. The Government Inspectorate, in late March, identified numerous violations across most stages, from bidding and construction to project management. These violations caused a delay of over 7 years and substantial waste, estimated at 1,253 billion dong.

In late March, the Supreme People's Procuracy prosecuted former Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien for violating state asset management regulations, with accusations of causing 803 billion dong in waste related to these two projects.

Vu Tuan