Addressing the event, Vu Tien Chien, head of the Office of the Central Steering Board for Corruption Control, noted that in recent years the Vietnamese government has introduced comprehensive solutions to combat corruption and the fight has seen some preliminary results.

He said the State President has ratified the UN Convention against Corruption and the government has issued a national anti-corruption strategy, demonstrating the Party and State’s determination to uproot corruption.

However, he admitted that corruption in Vietnam remains serious in some areas, and many people are concerned about the effectiveness of the government’s solutions.

Foreign delegates attending the dialogue. Photo: VOVNews

Rolf Bergman, Swedish Ambassador to Vietnam, acknowledged Vietnam’s strong resolve to combat corruption as evidenced by signing the UN Convention and bilateral agreements with its development partners, including Canada, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the European Commission (EC).

The government’s political commitments are necessary, but not enough, said the diplomat, adding that the key to success is to combine law and its enforcement and to change individuals’ behaviour.  

The ambassador pointed to the fact that corruption in the healthcare sector affects many countries, especially developing economies.

Dr Thaveeporn Vasavakul, a Swedish anti-corruption consultant, underscored the need to integrate the healthcare sector’s anti-corruption solutions into its reform programme, monitor the effects of these solutions, increase inspections and encourage social engagement.

UNDP policy advisor Jairo Acuna-Alfaro and WHO policy advisor Graham Harrison recommended that transparency be promoted by making public information about healthcare service providers, fees, product safety and prices. They said the sector should promote a patient’s right to be personally provided with information about their health status.

Representatives of the Government Inspectorate, the Ministry of Health, the World Bank, UNDP, WHO, Transparency International and the Swedish Embassy all presented reports revealing major wrongdoings in the healthcare sector, particularly in the purchase of equipment. They said drug prices are often inflated; doctors prescribe expensive drugs and team up with drug stores to enjoy commissions, and doctors abuse diagnostic tests to exploit medical insurance policies.

They put forward short- and long-term solutions to clean up corruption in the sector, with priority given to promoting transparency, increasing inspections and strictly dealing with law-breakers.

Tran Quang Trung, head of the Ministry of Health’s Inspection Department, said his ministry will incorporate anti-corruption into its training programmes and enhance communication campaigns to raise public awareness of the fight.