Vietnam's e-Healthcare Programme Launched

Hanoi, March 11, 2009 (VNA) - Vietnam is to implement an e-healthcare programme that aims to improve medical workers' IT skills and boost the application of IT in the country's health sector, said Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien. An agreement to this effect was signed by the Health Ministry, the Vietnam Post and Telecommunication Group (VNPT) and the Intel Semiconductor Co., Ltds representative office in Hanoi on March 11. Computers included in the programme will be installed with official Intel software, she said, adding that customers could also register for ADSL installation and enjoy a 50-percent discount on internet subscription fees. Tien said that Intel would coordinate with the Health Ministry and other partners to create an IT application model in a local medical centre, which is expected to train about 1,000 healthcare workers, equipping them with vital IT skills. All central medical agencies nationwide have now been computerized. The health sector has its own dedicated portal and all medical universities and colleges have been equipped with local area networks (LAN), enabling them to connect to the internet. (Source: Asia Pulse)Nike