* Difficulties
Binh Dinh has implemented a national policy on development of Vietnamese traditional medicine and pharmacy for 7 years. However, its network of health management, of medical examination and treatment with traditional medicine and pharmacy is still at small size.
Binh Dinh hasn’t yet established an Office of Traditional Medicine and Pharmacy Management directly under its provincial Department of Health although the national policy targeted to build up such offices all over the country by 2010.
Limited regular workforce of medical centre at Quy Nhon city and other medical facilities at districts is the first obstacle. Because they have no special task force personnel in traditional medicine and pharmacy, they fail to present comprehensive and timely and proposals over traditional medicine and pharmacy activities to higher authorities.
Secondly, the traditional medicine and pharmacy facilities are poorly equipped and downgraded. Numbers of available patient beds are too limited and equipments are deficient. 44 percent of district medical centres have no unit of traditional medicine and pharmacy.
Furthermore, methods of diagnosis and treatment with the traditional medicine and pharmacy aren’t updated. Cultivation of medicinal plants and manufacturing of herbal medicines faces a lot of hindrances.
Thirdly, investment for the traditional medicine and pharmacy is too low, says Doctor Le Phuoc Nin, Director of Binh Dinh Hospital of Traditional Medicine.
Propulsive lever in need
In this May, Binh Dinh People’s Committee issued Action Plan on Development of Binh Dinh Traditional Medicine and Pharmacy by 2020 with aims to modernize and develop practices of the Vietnamese traditional medicine treatment for the local people, to expand the network of traditional medicine and pharmacy facilities.
Binh Dinh Hospital of Traditional Medicine is expected to become grade-II hospital by 2015. All of hospitals in the province will have units of traditional medicine and pharmacy. All of the district medical centres will have physicians of traditional medicine. By 2020, percentage of diagnosis and treatment with the traditional medicine and pharmacy at the provincial-level hospital will reach 20 percent, at district-level medical facilities 25 percent and commune level 40 percent.
Binh Dinh Hospital of Traditional Medicine may meet the goal but the medical facilities at district and commune levels won’t. The biggest obstacle to the medical facilities is the workforce shortage.
In order to meet the goal, it is necessary to solve policy problems; to think of the development of the traditional medicine and pharmacy in context of modern healthcare; to unveil extensive communication campaigns so as to raise people’s awareness of the medical examination and treatment with traditional medicine and pharmacy. The medical facilities should be equipped with modern technologies; their infrastructure should be upgraded; their personnel should be trained more.
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