Vietnam moves to get HIV/AIDS patients covered by insurance for treatment

HO CHI MINH CITY, Dec 26 (Bernama) -- Ho Chi Minh City is expected to treat nearly 4,000 people with HIV/AIDS who have health insurance cards in the first quarter of next year, following the cessation of free treatment for all such patients in the country, according to the city HIV/AIDS Prevention Centre. 

For patients who do not have health insurance, they will continue to receive free medicine at health facilities where they are being treated, the centre’s Deputy Director, Dr Van Hung said. 

Forty health facilities that provide HIV treatment have signed contracts with the city-based Vietnam Social Security to accept health insurance, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported.

These facilities belong to city and district-level hospitals, as well as health centres’ community counselling and support divisions. 

Head of the Health Centre in District 11’s community counselling and support division, Dr Kim Chi Na said that it was now treating more than 2,700 people with HIV/AIDS. 

The division admits 70 new cases with HIV each month, Na said, adding that most of them are from other provinces.

Nearly 10 per cent of people with HIV/AIDS do not have health insurance. 

The Ministry of Health said that insured people who use health care services related to HIV/AIDS will receive antiretroviral drugs, HIV tests and other services, and insured pregnant women with HIV will also receive treatment.

-- BERNAMA