HCM City plans privately-invested nursing homes for aging population

HCM CITY — In order to improve healthcare for the elderly, HCM City plans to pilot nursing centres under a model that calls for more participation of private investors and provides affordable care.

Accordingly, the city will encourage businesses and organisations to invest in geriatric health care, providing better services at affordable cost.

The city has prepared a detailed plan on implementing the progra妹妹e, aiming to have at least ten of  二 二 districts adopt the new model by  二0 三0.

Residents aged  六0 and more will get health check-ups at least once a year, with coverage reaching  七0 per cent of the total elderly population in  二0 二 五 and  一00 per cent in  二0 三0.

The city also aims at providing medical examination and treatment at home for  一00 per cent of elderly people suffering from severe diseases or older people living alone in difficult circumstances.

The city now has a senior population of more than  八 四0,000, with  九 八 per cent having health insurance.

The average life expectancy of the city is  七 六. 六 years, higher than the national figure of  七 三. 六 years.

The city’s population is aging fast and its fertility rate of  一. 三 九 children per woman of reproductive age in  二0 一 九 is set to decrease in the near future.

The rapid aging of the population poses huge challenges, requiring the city to improve its social security and healthcare system for the elderly.

In  二0 一 一, Việt Nam began to enter an aging population period and is one of the countries with the fastest aging rates in the world.

The number of people  六0 years and older accounted for  一 一. 九 per cent of the total population in  二0 一 七.

According to the General Statistics Office, this group would account for about  二 一 million people by  二0 三 八, or  二0 per cent of the population; and this would rise to  二 七 million or  二 五 per cent of the population by  二0 五0.

About  七0 per cent of deaths every year are caused by non-infectious diseases, of which  四0 per cent happen to people under  七0.

Non-infectious diseases account for about  四00,000 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health.

Non-infectious diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, mental illness and cancer, affect longevity and the quality of life. They are the number one killer today, with more than  七0 per cent of deaths caused by cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes.

The number of cases increases significantly from the age of  四0 due to aging, inadequate nutrition, high consumption of tobacco and alcohol, stress, and other factors.

The Ministry of Health has set a target of having the death toll of non-infectious diseases fall  二0 per cent by  二0 二 五. — VNS