The Health Department in Hanoi has announced that fees for health services in the Vietnamese capital will be raised from May 1 – last Wednesday.
The cost for about 2,000 healthcare services will see an increase of between 50,000 to 200,000 dong (US$2.10 to $8.60,) Viet Nam News reported. According to authorities, the adjustment was made with a reference to people’s basic salaries also rising.
Initially, there were two different prices for medical examinations and treatments set at public hospitals. The new increase will make the prices identical for patients, whether they have medical insurance or not.
Director of the Hanoi Department of Health, Nguyen Khac Hien, said the increase in medical fees would only affect people who do not have health insurance. Official statistics suggest that about 86.7% of citizens in Hanoi are insured.
However, the adjustment will not affect citizens who are given free medical insurance, including children below the age of six and citizens that get social benefits.