Vietnam to Decentralize Medical License Issuance from July 1

A significant administrative reform is set to take place in Vietnam's healthcare sector starting July 1, as the authority for issuing and managing medical practice licenses will be decentralized to provincial People's Committee Chairpersons. This move, outlined in Government Resolution 21, represents a crucial step towards streamlining bureaucratic processes and empowering local authorities. For healthcare professionals across the country, this means a more accessible and potentially faster route to obtaining, renewing, or modifying their licenses.

The Ministry of Health, while relinquishing direct licensing authority for individual practitioners, will continue to play a vital role. Its responsibilities will include issuing operating licenses for hospitals under its direct management and overseeing the approval of specialized technical procedures for healthcare facilities nationwide. This division of labor aims to create a more efficient system, allowing the central ministry to focus on strategic oversight and national standards, while provincial bodies handle the day-to-day administrative tasks.

Furthermore, the resolution emphasizes a commitment to simplifying and shortening administrative timelines. For instance, the process for issuing a new operating license for a healthcare facility will now have a defined timeframe, including a 40-day period for assessment and a subsequent 10-day window for issuance if all conditions are met. This increased transparency and clear procedural deadlines are designed to reduce delays and ensure a more predictable experience for medical establishments. The public will also benefit from increased transparency, as information about licensed facilities will be published online within five working days of issuance.

This decentralization is more than just an administrative reshuffle; it reflects a broader governmental push towards greater efficiency and responsiveness in public services. From our perspective at Tuổi Trẻ, this reform is particularly noteworthy as it directly impacts the daily operations of thousands of healthcare workers and facilities. By reducing the administrative burden at the central level and empowering provincial authorities, Vietnam aims to foster a more dynamic and responsive healthcare system, better equipped to meet the evolving needs of its population.