HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam – August 9, 2025 – In a significant move to modernize its public health infrastructure, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health has officially announced the renaming of 26 hospitals across the city. The decision is part of a broader strategic plan aimed at unifying the organizational and management structure of the city's vast healthcare network.
This administrative overhaul is expected to enhance operational efficiency, streamline management processes, and ultimately improve the quality of medical services for the city's nearly 10 million residents.
The changes are intended to eliminate inconsistencies in hospital naming conventions that have existed for years. Previously, hospital names often varied in format, sometimes leading to confusion for patients and complexities in administrative management, resource allocation, and digital data synchronization.
Under the new directive, the naming system will be standardized to clearly reflect each hospital's administrative level and specialization. For instance, many facilities previously known as "General Hospital of [District Name]" will now be simplified to "[District Name] Hospital." This creates a clear and consistent hierarchy, making it easier for patients to identify the appropriate level of care—from local district facilities to more specialized city-level institutions.
Dr. Le Anh Tuan, Deputy Director of the HCMC Department of Health, emphasized that the initiative goes far beyond a superficial change.
"This is not just about changing the signboards on our buildings; it's a foundational step towards building a more modern, integrated, and patient-centric public health system," Dr. Tuan stated in a press briefing. "By standardizing our organizational model, we can improve coordination between hospitals, streamline patient referrals, and enhance the efficiency of our resource deployment. Ultimately, this will lead to a better healthcare experience and better health outcomes for our citizens."
The key benefits expected from this unification include:
Improved Patient Navigation: A clearer naming system will help patients make more informed decisions about where to seek medical care.
Enhanced Administrative Efficiency: Standardized names will simplify paperwork, budgeting, and inter-departmental communications across the city's health network.
Better Digital Integration: The move is crucial for the city's ongoing digital transformation in healthcare, allowing for more seamless integration of electronic health records and management software.
The Department of Health will oversee the transition process, which includes updating all official documents, signage, and digital platforms over the coming months. This renaming initiative is seen as a critical component of Ho Chi Minh City's long-term vision to develop a world-class public healthcare system capable of meeting the demands of a leading economic megacity in Southeast Asia.
