Okay, here’s a breakdown of the key issues and proposed solutions regarding the development of traditional medicine in Vietnam, based on the provided text. I’ll organize it into sections for clarity:
1. The Core Problem: Underdeveloped Potential
Lack of Progress: The development of traditional medicine (TM) in Vietnam over the last five years hasn’t met expectations,despite a national program aiming to integrate TM with modern medicine by 2030.
Unfulfilled Objectives: Many objectives within the program haven’t been achieved, and even the Ministry of Health’s assigned tasks remain incomplete.
Low Patient Uptake: Despite infrastructure modernization in TM hospitals, they struggle to attract patients for examinations and treatments.
Inadequate Training: The current training framework for TM practitioners isn’t practical enough for real-world application.
Insufficient Investment: Funding and resources allocated to TM are disproportionately low compared to its potential role in healthcare.
Systemic issues: The TM service system lacks synchronization and coordination from the central to local levels.
2. Reasons for the Underdevelopment (According to the text)
Lack of Political Attention (objective): Party committees and authorities at various levels haven’t fully recognized the importance of TM or integrated it into broader health policies.
Poor Inter-Sectoral Coordination (objective): Ministries and organizations don’t adequately collaborate, often viewing TM development as solely the duty of the health sector.
Incomplete Legal Framework (Objective): The legal framework for TM is lacking,and existing regulations are often based on modern medicine models,which aren’t always suitable.
Discouraged Investment (Objective): There’s a lack of incentives for companies to invest in TM evaluation, treatment, cultivation, processing, and marketing of medicinal herbs.
Evaluation Discrepancies (Technical): Evaluation criteria differ between traditional and modern medicine, creating inconsistencies.
Quality Control issues (Technical): Medicinal herbs and herbal medications face challenges regarding origin and quality assurance.
Lack of Standardized Training (Technical): There are no established regulations for training traditional and herbal doctors.3. Proposed Solutions & Recommendations
Policy & Legal Framework Completion: the Ministry of Health needs to finalize specific mechanisms and policies to create a favorable legal environment for TM development (requested by Nghe An province).
Integration into Essential Medicines List: Traditional medicine groups, notably those with proven efficacy, should be included in the list of essential medicines covered by health insurance (suggested by Dr. Dou Xuan Canh).
Investment in Value Chain: Increase the value of vietnamese medicinal plants, transforming national medicinal resources into a enduring industry that supports livelihoods and reduces poverty.
Standardized Training: Establish regulations for the training of traditional and herbal doctors, and provide regular training opportunities.
Complete Solutions: Develop a set of solutions encompassing mechanisms, policies, investment attraction, research, technology transfer, human resource training, interaction, and public mobilization (suggested by Da Nang Health Department).
Focus on Regional Strengths: Beyond well-known herbs like Ngoc Linh Ginseng, identify and develop policies for other regionally specific medicinal herbs (Da Nang exmaple).
Inter-Sectoral Collaboration: Improve coordination and participation among all relevant ministries, departments, and organizations.
* Government Direction: The Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long has directed the health sector and related entities to address these issues.
In essence, the text paints a picture of a valuable resource (traditional medicine) being held back by a combination of bureaucratic hurdles, lack of political will, insufficient investment, and a need for modernization and standardization. The proposed solutions emphasize the need for a more holistic and supportive approach to unlock TM’s potential within the Vietnamese healthcare system.
