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Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy , Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN (Photo: VNA)

New York (VNA) – Vietnam is concerned about cases of using or threatening to use force in international relations, which go against the UN Charter and harm international peace and security, Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, has said.

Quy was addressing an UN Security Council (UNSC)’s videoconference Arria-formula meeting on February 24 themed “Upholding the collective security system of the UN Charter: the use of force in international law, non-state actors and legitimate self-defense” with the participants of nearly 30 member countries of the UN Security Council and the UN.

He stressed that all countries are obliged to build friendship relations and form a culture of upholding the UN Charter and international law as well as abiding by principles in sovereignty and territorial integrity, not interfering into internal affairs of other states, not using or threatening to use force, and dealing with disputes peacefully.

The diplomat said that the UNSC should work to enhance the observance of international law and promote the role of international law and UN Charter as a vital tool in maintaining international peace and security, while increasing its coordination with regional organisations and international legal agencies in coping with disputes, maintaining peace and preventing conflicts.

He underlined the need to avoid the abuse and re-explanation of the UN Charter, suggesting the UNSC continue to creating favourable conditions for countries to get access to affairs and documents of the council to promote open and transparent discussions in the field.

Noting that this topic has been mostly discussed among scholars, Naz Modirzadeh, Director of the Harvard Law School Programme on International Law and Armed Conflict, said that all countries are authorised and responsible in building international law, including the responsibility in protecting the principle of not using force.

She proposed that all countries should actively engage in open discussions on the theory of the rights to self-defence and improve the capacity to get access to announcements and discussions at the UNSC in the field.

Participants at the event underlined the principle of not using or threatening to use force, which is a foundation for the collective security system in line with the UN Charter and the UNSC’s function in maintaining international peace and security.

They affirmed that the only exception is the case that is allowed by the UNSC or to implement the right to self-defence. They called for the upholding of the UN Charter in maintaining international peace and stability, while exchanging ideas on the explanation and application of Article 51 of the UN Charter on the legal basis for the use of force as a means of self-defence, as well as on the situation in specific countries and regions./.

E-records are helping to streamline processes for medical professionals

Dr. Nguyen Van Khoi, board chairman at Quang Khoi General Hospital, said that one of the hospital’s new business strategies to materialise its mission is to launch a mobile check-up service, which is the result of its 10-year development efforts.

“COVID-19 has had significant impacts on the economy and human life, thus affecting people’s access to healthcare services. With the new service, we hope to bring health services closer and make it more convenient to people,“ Khoi noted.

The hospital has focused investment in development of the mobile check-up service in recent years in an effort to meet growing demands for regular check-ups for workers and white-collar workers at offices and factories. This service helps ensure the quality of regular check-ups for employees of businesses, while saving travelling and waiting times for them.

Looking like a mobile clinic, the mobile check-up service vehicles of Quang Khoi General Hospital are fully equipped with advanced medical equipment and machines such as 4D ultrasound machine; digital x-ray machine; ear, nose, and throat endoscopes; electrocardiogram machines; and more, thus ensuring the best possible on-site healthcare service quality. These devices are connected directly with the management software on electronic health records to facilitate the research and management of health conditions of each individual.

Moreover, drawing rooms are equipped with air conditioners and ventilation to ensure fresh environment and best conditions for medical examiners. Especially, the results of health check-ups are available on mobile phones and electronic health records. In addition, the multidisciplinary team of the mobile check-up service vehicles have medical proficiency and are highly trained at home and internationally.

With all of these factors, the new service has received support from labourers, with many domestic and foreign-invested enterprises selecting it. They include companies such as PTSC Thanh Hoa, Nghi Son International Port Co., Ltd., Nghi Son Thermal Power JSC, Japan’s TOA, Hoa Sen Group (Nghe An office), Lilama 18.1, and many others.

Together with new services development, Quang Khoi General Hospital has also been paying due attention to IT application in management and operation.

The management software on electronic health records applied in the mobile check-up service is one of the hospital’s encouraging achievements in line with the health sector’s electronic health records development plan and development of smart hospitals.

With strong efforts on technology application, Quang Khoi has become the ninth hospital nationwide to receive Ministry of Health recognition as a successful performer of electronic health records. Quang Khoi was also honoured as the pioneer in digital transformation in the health sector at the E-Health Vietnam Summit 2020.

As part of Quang Khoi’s development plan, the hospital has strengthened international cooperation as a way to help improve professionalism for its health professionals, and approach new treatment methods and techniques, thus enabling it to satisfy new demands.

For instance, Quang Khoi made working visits to a number of hospitals in 2020, including FV Hospital and Hanh Phuc International Hospital, both of which won Joint Commission International accreditation – a global certification on hospital quality management.

Also last October, Quang Khoi signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement with Hanoi French Hospital, with regular check-ups and hospital fee guarantee being included to ensure diversified benefits for patients depending on their demands and financial capacity.

The cooperation is expected to bring about many more opportunities for Quang Khoi to further improve professionalism of its health professionals, while diversifying high-quality health services for customers, especially corporate ones. With strong investment and comprehensive and constant innovation, Quang Khoi General Hospital is winning more confidence from customers and partners, reaffirming its leading position among privately-run facilities in the central region.

Last year was very taxing for the healthcare sector as the pandemic has led to a dramatic loss of human life worldwide and presents an unprecedented challenge to public health. How has AstraZeneca Vietnam contributed to increasing patient access over the past year?

Nitin Kapoor, chairman and general director of AstraZeneca Vietnam

While it has been a real test to the world, our innovative and patient-centric spirit has helped us not only rise to the unique challenges posed by the pandemic but also ensure that we leave no patients or healthcare professionals behind in this trying time. As we are celebrating Doctors’ Day in Vietnam, I want to thank all the doctors, nurses, and healthcare staff for their tireless efforts to keep us safe.

Globally and in Vietnam, AstraZeneca is committed to ensuring broad and equitable access to our COVID-19 vaccine. We are proud and thankful for the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Drug Administration of Vietnam’s conditional authorisation of our COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca for emergency use. We are partnering with Vietnam Vaccine JSC to deliver 30 million doses of the vaccine to the country, starting from the first half of 2021.

To support Vietnam’s healthcare system when it faced great shortages, last year AstraZeneca donated 400,000 medical masks to the MoH and personal protective equipment to the National Hospital for Tropical Disease. Our contributions to Vietnam’s fight against the pandemic were recognised with the Minister of Health’s Award of Excellence.

In July, our major structural and operational transformation was completed when we became one of the first pharmaceutical multinationals to successfully transition to a foreign-invested enterprise and sign a landmark local distribution partnership. This change has allowed us to better deliver our innovative, high quality medicines to millions of Vietnamese patients.

We have also accelerated our digital transformation, reaching over 80,000 healthcare professionals virtually even during pandemic restrictions and supporting major hospitals in their telehealth and digital healthcare education programmes, all to ensure that patients’ access to healthcare is not disrupted.

Along with the global health crisis, the Vietnamese healthcare sector is facing a growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). How important is partnership in easing this in the community?

The increasing healthcare needs and growing NCD burden require that we form robust and comprehensive collaborations in order to achieve better health outcomes for patients. Public-private partnerships also play a vital role as they can contribute diverse and complementary resources towards a mutual goal in a shorter time. AstraZeneca Vietnam’s mission is to reduce NCD burden in Vietnam, and we have been a long-term partner with the government, the MoH, and healthcare institutions to maximise our collective impact.

In our 27-year operations in Vietnam, our most notable sustainability programmes include the Healthy Lung Programme where we partner with the Medical Service Administration and respiratory medical associations to improve outpatient management for asthma, COPD, and lung cancer; and the Young Health Programme through which we work with the MoH and Plan International to reduce NCD risk behaviours amongst young people. In 2018 and 2019, to raise awareness of NCDs and increase their early detection, we also organised two community days in Hanoi where our volunteers provided 1,000 free screenings and consultation sessions.

Reflecting on this past year, what do you think is the biggest lesson from COVID-19, and how can we avoid letting it happen again?

These are tough questions that I’m sure many world leaders have been asking. What we’ve witnessed is how vulnerable the global health system is in the face of crises such as pandemics or natural disasters. COVID-19 has really highlighted the importance of early detection of diseases, disaster contingency plans and preparedness, trust in science, transparent and decisive leadership, and cross-border and cross-sectoral partnership.

The Vietnamese government and the MoH have demonstrated the best practice in pandemic response – leading the country effectively through the pandemic and protecting lives, while maintaining remarkable economic growth.

As crises will continue to happen in the future whether we like it or not, it’s vital that we increase healthcare systems’ sustainability and resilience so that they are resistant to whatever comes in their way. AstraZeneca Vietnam is contributing our part via two programmes – one is the Partnership for Health System Sustainability and Resilience with the World Economic Forum, London School of Economics, and Vietnam’s Health Strategy and Policy Institute to generate insights on how Vietnam’s healthcare system can be strengthened. The other one is Green Energy for Health, where we donate solar energy systems to local healthcare stations in disadvantaged areas, allowing them to save costs and improve energy supply stability.