Project News

Lai Chau Province, 24 April 2015: In the framework of 2014 activities, JICA project has partnered with CPMU- Medical Service Administration (MSA) to support Lai Chau PPMU to organize a referral & nursing regular meeting in Phong Tho District Hospital for reviewing referral and nursing activities in the 1st quarter of 2015 (4th quarter of JFY2014). The meeting, as chaired by the provincial DOH, was jointly participated by the reprentatives of local authorities, leaders and in-charge staffs from all hospitals in the province, and last but not least, other PPMUs of Lao Cai, Son La and Yen Bai provinces to share valuable experience on referral management in line with the project objectives.

During the regular referral meeting, Lai Chau PGH has shared comprehensive reports on DOHA and referal situation in the province together with two separate referral reports as prepared by Phong Tho and Tan Uyen DHs for cross- check. The meeting is an open opportunity for leaders and DOHA staffs from provincial and district hospitals to review related issues on referral activities in the quarter. The reports revealed important statistical data, as collected through the Circular 14/2014/TT-BYT's forms, in the quarter which consists of total number of referral cases from DHs to PGH (2,439 patients, diseases with high number of referral patient include respiratory diseases, injury and obstetrics), total number of referral cases from PGH to central hospitals (268 patients, diseases with high number of referral patient include endocrine and oncological diseases), by-pass patient from DHs to PGH (1,589) etc. Such findings would create a panorama on referral situation in the province and facilitate leaders to propose appropriate actions for the improvement of medical services.

Also, PGH doctors spent major part of the agenda to discuss on typical cases of different dianogsis in different clinical departments for sharing experience with lower hospitals. The participants particularly stressed on the confidentiality of patient information and internal clinical communication amongst medical staffs during patient tranfer and treatment etc. This will partially contribute to the improvement of medical service quality and referral activity management at different levels. Project manager, Mr. Cao Hung Thai-Deputy Director General of MSA said "Lai Chau province is considered as an successful example in implementing the Circular 14/2014/TT-BYT in line with the project's overall objectives".

Besides, DOH's chief nurse led a discussion with other chief nurses of PGH and DHs to review nursing situation in the province. Chief nurses jointly shared information and experience on how to improve nursing activities in hospitals for sake of better patient care and treatment processes. "Nurses always play a key role in the entire treatment process, so training activities on nursing skills should be in high priority", said Mr. DOI Masahiko, Project Chief Adviser.

This event is part of a series of DOHA and referral meetings in 6 targets provinces in 2014 as supported by the Project, namely Dien Bien province (11/07/2014), Son La province (15/07/2014) and Yen Bai province (22/07/2014). The project has successfully made remarkable contributions to increase each province's awareness on important outcomes of such regular referral meeting and to improve capacity of DOHA and referral network in 6 provinces.

In 2015, without the project's financial support, regular meeting on DOHA and referral activities will be continuously conducted by PPMUs under the provincial counterpart budget, which maintain the overall sustainability of the project outcomes.

Referral and Nursing meeting in Phong Tho District. PGH staffs explained referral situation in the province in the 1st quarter

Project manager, Mr. Cao Hung Thai-Deputy Director General of MSA participated and delivered keynote during the meeting