Electronic payment without cash in medical examination and treatment is still inadequate

Non-cash payment in general and electronic payment in particular are an indispensable trend of the era, showing a civilized and modern society, bringing great benefits. However, the non-cash electronic payment for medical examination and treatment in Vietnam is still inadequate.

People are not familiar with electronic payments

Recently, the health sector has promoted the application of information technology, ensuring technical infrastructure to enhance management, improve service quality and people’s satisfaction in the field of public administration. medical examination and treatment, prevention, health promotion and training of medical and pharmaceutical human resources. This is also the foundation for implementing electronic payment for public administrative services, hospital fees and tuition.

However, Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien also pointed out that currently, the non-cash payment in medical examination and treatment still faces many difficulties and shortcomings such as: People come to medical examination and treatment are still in the habit of using. cash, unfamiliar with using cards, mobile applications for payment;

According to the State Bank of Vietnam data, 50% of the Vietnamese population does not have a bank account or electronic payment card; There have not been many solutions to pay hospital fees for health facilities in remote and mountainous areas; People are not fully aware of the benefits and significance of non-cash payment of the hospital, so the rate of non-cash payment is still low.

Besides, the connection between banking software, payment intermediaries and hospital information system still faces many difficulties; Fees for non-cash transactions are high and hospitals do not yet have mechanisms for payment.

Issue a smart card

Talking about how to make electronic medical payment, Mr. Tran Quy Tuong, Director of IT Department – Ministry of Health said: One of the solutions to make electronic payment is issuing Card for payment of medical examination and treatment expenses. This is a smart card – a one-national card issued by the Ministry of Industry and Trade or a partnership card between a hospital and a bank.

On the card is integrated with the patient’s information, helping the follow-up visits will be quick and convenient. The card is issued at the hospital and is linked to the Patient Code. Using a health care card, payment is made at the doctor’s office or clinical clinic.

Patients, their family members do not have to queue for multiple payments. Patients and family members keep the medical examination card for use when re-examination. When a patient visits the hospital for the first time, a certain amount of money will be created to create a payment card, pay for medical examination and treatment, and even withdraw money at ATMs like cash cards. common goods.