Creating favourable conditions for health insurance card bearer

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Staff of Dong Nai General Hospital are opening free 2-in-1 examination cards to patients.

Conditions for opening medical examination cards are very simple. Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade (Vietinbank) shall place a card printer at the hospital. Patients, if required, will present identity card, health insurance card, fill out the request form, and after a few minutes, the hospital will open a free card. Patients can deposit money to the examination card at the hospital's registration card for medical examination and treatment at the hospital - without having to go to the bank to recharge, or can ask a relative or friend to transfer money access your health-care card account as a regular ATM card to use it.

Outpatient hospital for medical examination and treatment for 4-6 thousand patients per day. In order to ensure the time for patients, the hospital has to open a QMS table for medical examination from 3 a.m., patients shall register for examination at the traditional registration counter from 6 a.m. and start examination from 6:30. At the time of the crowded patients, many elderly people had to go early, draw order lots and then have to wait until the examination time, sometimes it took many hours. This will cause many tired people to lead to pressing.

However, with a 2-in-1 medical card, patients do not need to buy a medical book, do not have to wait in line to draw lot numbers, register for medical care, only need to use the card to swipe at one of the 4 kiosks for hospital automatic registration. On the automatic registration machine, there will be items such as 'Registration for medical examination’, ‘Treatment with health insurance', 'No health insurance card' and 'Hospital fee payment' for patients to choose. After that, the patient continues to choose the medical department, the clinic, followed by the choice of the doctor and takes the serial number from the machine, and then go straight to such department, without having to wait as before.

Kim Anh, a staff member of the Department of Examination, said that when the patients were not familiar with this method, the staff of the department would be standing by the kiosks to perform the selection activities to help the patients; at the same time advise patients to better understand the benefits of the 2-in-1 medical examination card. At this time, every day, Kim Anh implements a medical guide for 300-400 patients, each registration ranges from 10-15 seconds, 4-5 times faster than the traditional way to register for medical examination.

Ms. Dinh Thi Ngoc Thanh (living in Tan Mai Ward, Bien Hoa City) shared that she had type 2 diabetes, accompanied by hypertension, dyslipidemia, atherosclerosis, postoperative hypothyroidism, and chronic varicose veins, increased liver enzymes, and she often have to go to the hospital for examination and taking medicine. Guided by hospital staff, she recently signed up to open a 2-in-1 medical card at the hospital.

Ms. Thanh said: “I find this medical card very convenient. Having a medical card, I did not have to wait in line as before. After the examination, I will be able to go to the hospital lobby and ask  staff at the kiosk to guide for payment, without waiting to be called for the hospital fee. Before, it took 11 o'clock for me to get my medicine and go home, but now it is finished by 10 o'clock.”

By Viet Anh