Vietnam's Rich Traditional Medicine Potential Hindered by Low Utilization, Ministry Seeks Reform

Vietnam boasts a significant advantage in developing its traditional medicine sector, possessing over 5,000 species of medicinal plants and a rich history of traditional healing practices spanning thousands of years. This natural wealth and historical knowledge present a substantial opportunity for the country to enhance public health and foster socio-economic growth.

However, the utilization of traditional medicine within the national healthcare system remains underdeveloped relative to its potential. In 2025, traditional medicine accounted for only about 3.3% of the approximately 195 million health insurance visits nationwide, translating to roughly 7 million visits. Furthermore, spending on traditional medicine drugs constituted a modest 5.42% of the total health insurance drug expenditure, amounting to over 3.1 trillion Vietnamese dong.

Even in Ho Chi Minh City, a major urban center with 34 out of 38 general hospitals featuring traditional medicine departments and 75% of its health stations offering such services, the sector's development is considered insufficient. Challenges persist in scientific research, technology transfer, and the training of high-quality human resources.

To address these issues, the Ministry of Health is proposing several policy amendments to improve access to traditional medicine services for patients, particularly the elderly. Key proposals include allowing health insurance beneficiaries to register for initial examinations at traditional medicine facilities and expanding the list of traditional medicine technical services covered by health insurance. The ministry aims to integrate traditional medicine as an organic part of the national healthcare system, leveraging modern science and technology while preserving ancestral wisdom.

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Developing traditional medicine is not about returning to old, manual methods but must inherit and develop the essence of our ancestors, on the foundation of modern science and technology to become an organic part of the national medicine, a resource for national development in the new phase.