On October 11, 2025, Vietnam’s Ministry of Health unveiled an ambitious plan to overhaul its entire medical administration, a move set to reshape the country’s vast network of hospitals, research institutes, and training facilities. According to reporting from VnExpress and Dan Tri, the proposal, crafted in accordance with Resolution 18-NQ/TW, aims to streamline operations, decentralize management, and boost both efficiency and quality in healthcare delivery nationwide.
The Ministry currently manages 90 units, including state management agencies, hospitals, research institutes, schools, forensic centers, and facilities for drug and equipment quality control. But, as outlined in the new plan, the Ministry intends to reduce the number of hospitals directly under its supervision from 39 to 25. This significant consolidation is designed to maintain a core group of leading institutions while empowering local authorities and universities to take on a greater role in the health sector.
Under the proposal, some of Vietnam’s most prestigious hospitals—such as Bach Mai Hospital, K Hospital, Viet Duc Hospital, the National Pediatric Hospital, the National Maternity Hospital, Cho Ray Hospital, and Thong Nhat Hospital—will remain directly under the Ministry of Health. As reported by VnExpress, this is to ensure these institutions continue their critical role in treatment, training, and scientific research, serving as the backbone of the country’s medical expertise.
Meanwhile, several specialized hospitals are slated for mergers with larger central general hospitals or units. For instance, E Hospital will become a branch of Bach Mai Hospital. The Ho Chi Minh City Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Hospital will merge into Thong Nhat Hospital, and the Can Tho Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Hospital will join Can Tho General Hospital. The reasoning, according to Dan Tri, is to create larger, more versatile centers capable of handling a wider array of medical needs and fostering multidisciplinary collaboration.
The plan doesn’t stop at mergers. It also calls for a bold shift in management of certain hospitals and facilities. Thirteen units are proposed to be transferred to local authorities in their original state, a move intended to strengthen decentralization and give provinces more control over their healthcare resources. Among these, the Central Psychiatric Hospital 2 will be handed to the Dong Nai Provincial People’s Committee, the Quy Hoa Dermatology and Leprosy Hospital to Gia Lai Province, Central Hospital 74 to Phu Tho Province, and the Central General Hospital Quang Nam to Da Nang City.
Education and training are also at the heart of the reforms. Several hospitals will be converted into teaching hospitals for medical universities, deepening the integration between clinical practice and academic instruction. For example, the Da Nang Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Hospital will shift under the management of the Da Nang University of Medicine and Pharmacy. Similarly, Central Hospital 71 and the Central Nursing and Rehabilitation Hospital have already been transferred to Hanoi Medical University to serve as practical training grounds for future doctors and nurses.
In the realm of public health and disease prevention, the Ministry of Health is moving to consolidate its resources. The Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology will remain under the Ministry’s direct management and be tasked with becoming the national hub for CDC (Centers for Disease Control) functions. This centralization will be reinforced by merging the Nutrition Institute, the Occupational Health and Environment Institute, and the Central Institute of Malaria - Parasitology - Entomology into the Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology. In southern Vietnam, the Malaria - Parasitology - Entomology Institute and the Ho Chi Minh City Public Health Institute will merge into the Pasteur Institute of Ho Chi Minh City. According to Dan Tri, these changes are designed to create stronger, more unified public health institutions capable of responding swiftly to outbreaks and health emergencies.
The Ministry’s plan also addresses the need to preserve quality control and oversight. The network of inspection, forensic, and vaccine research units will largely remain unchanged to ensure continued excellence in drug, vaccine, and food safety monitoring. This stability, as the Ministry emphasizes, is crucial for maintaining public trust and upholding international standards.
Medical education is another area undergoing significant transformation. The Ministry proposes a streamlined network of training institutions, with mergers such as Hai Duong Medical Technical University receiving Hai Phong University of Medicine and Pharmacy, and the Central Pharmaceutical College of Hai Duong merging into Hanoi University of Pharmacy. Notably, Vietnam’s leading medical universities—including Hanoi Medical University, Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy, and Nam Dinh University of Nursing—will continue to operate under the Ministry’s direct supervision. This, as reported by VnExpress, is to safeguard the high standards of medical education and research.
Specialized administrative units are not left out of the shake-up. The National Organ Transplant Coordination Center, the National Centralized Drug Procurement Center, and most other administrative entities will remain under the Ministry’s wing, ensuring continuity in critical national health functions.
One of the more socially impactful aspects of the plan is the proposed transfer of the SOS Vietnam system and its facilities—previously managed by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs—to local authorities. This includes 17 SOS villages and 25 schools, with the central office to be streamlined and reorganized. The goal here, according to the Ministry, is to enable local governments to better address the needs of vulnerable children and families, while reducing bureaucratic overhead.
Forensic medicine and psychiatric assessment are also set for reform. The Ministry currently manages eight forensic units and proposes amending the Law on Judicial Expertise to transfer five psychiatric forensic centers to local control, aiming to enhance consistency and effectiveness in forensic evaluation.
These sweeping changes are the result of a process that’s been underway since 2017. Over the past eight years, the Ministry of Health has pursued a strategy of restructuring, reducing administrative layers, and boosting operational efficiency. This has already led to the transfer of three hospitals to local management and the merger of several units—such as combining medical journals and vocational colleges to form new, more focused entities.
Throughout this process, the Ministry has stressed the importance of a gradual, carefully managed transition. According to the Ministry, the restructuring will be carried out in phases to ensure continuity, avoid disruption of essential services, and preserve the gains of past reforms. The ultimate aim is to create a leaner, more responsive healthcare system that can better serve Vietnam’s people in a rapidly changing world.
As the plan moves forward, stakeholders across the health sector—doctors, administrators, patients, and local officials—are watching closely. The hope is that these reforms will not only streamline bureaucracy but also improve the quality of care, research, and training for generations to come.
