Ho Chi Minh City Promotes Digital Transformation of Healthcare Sector, Moving Towards a Smart Healthcare System

Conference on Digital Transformation of the City’s Healthcare Sector in 2025

On April 10, 2025, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health held a thematic conference on digital transformation in the healthcare sector. The event was attended by leaders of the City Party Committee, the City People’s Committee, departments and branches, along with leaders of hospitals, district and county medical centers and affiliated units. This is an opportunity for the city’s healthcare sector to review the achievements in the past time and propose specific directions and solutions to promote digital transformation in the coming period.

Speaking at the conference, Comrade Nguyen Van Hieu – Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee – emphasized the particularly important role of digital transformation in the health sector. It not only helps improve management and operation efficiency but also brings convenient experiences, saves time and costs for people when accessing health care services.

Synchronous Digital Transformation Goal, Towards Smart Healthcare

According to the plan, from now until 2025, Ho Chi Minh City will focus on synchronously deploying information technology infrastructure at medical facilities. Specifically, hospitals and medical centers in the area will complete specialized medical databases, connect with the city’s data center and the national system, gradually standardize data, and ensure information security.

One of the important contents emphasized is the deployment of electronic medical records and electronic health books for people. It is expected that by September 2025, hospitals in the city will completely eliminate paper medical records, switch to using electronic medical records, and synchronize data with the electronic health record system integrated on the VNeID application. This will not only help reduce administrative procedures and save paperwork costs, but also help doctors easily track people’s medical examination and treatment history, thereby providing optimal and more effective treatment plans.

Specific Targets by 2025 and Vision 2030

According to the plan, by the end of 2025:

100% of hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City will deploy electronic medical records.

95% of all online public services in the health sector will be implemented.

80% of administrative records in health facilities will be digitized.

At least 80% of payment transactions at health facilities will be made by non-cash methods.

In particular, by 2030, Ho Chi Minh City aims to:

95% of the city’s residents have electronic health records.
100% of medical documents and records are completely processed in the digital environment.

Political Determination and Synchronous Implementation Solutions

To realize these goals, the Ho Chi Minh City health sector has determined that it is necessary to thoroughly prepare technical infrastructure, data security solutions and human resource training. At the same time, the city will develop a detailed plan and specific implementation roadmap for each hospital, health station and clinic, ensuring synchronization from district to city levels.

Digital transformation of health is not only the application of technology, but also the process of changing the way health services are managed, operated and provided, taking people’s satisfaction as a measure of effectiveness.

Conclusion

Ho Chi Minh City is gradually realizing the strategy of digital transformation of health in a comprehensive and systematic manner. When completed, the smart healthcare system will not only improve management and operational capacity but also help people access healthcare services more easily, quickly and safely. This will be an important premise for the city to build a quality, civilized and modern living environment.