Collecting swab samples for COVID-19 testing (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam recorded 8,656 COVID-19 cases from 6pm on August 17 to 6.30pm on August 18, including 12 imported ones.
Ho Chi Minh City, the country’s current largest hotspot, still logged the highest number of new daily infections with 3,731, followed by its neighbour Binh Duong (2,513), Dong Nai (443), Long An (428) and Tien Giang (282). There were 5,935 cases detected in the community.
The number of daily cases saw a decline of 951 from the previous day.
Vietnam has seen a total of 302,101 infections since COVID-19 broke out. The caseload since the fourth wave of outbreaks hit the country on April 27 amounted to 298,064.
On August 18, 3,751 patients were given the all-clear, raising the number of recoveries to 115,059.
The same day, the country logged additional 298 COVID-19 related fatalities, announced the sub-committee for treatment at the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, bringing the death toll to 6,770, or 2.2 percent of the national count.
As many as 395,979 doses of COVID-19 vaccines were administered on the day. More than 14.03 million people received the first shot, and over 1.48 million others were fully vaccinated./.
As many as 1,032 out of the total of 1,090 firms, or 94.68 percent, in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho, had temporarily suspended their operations as of August 16, according to the municipal Department of Industry and Trade.
The Ministry of Health reported an additional 9,605 COVID-19 infections in the past 24 hours to 6pm on August 17, including 10 imported and 9,595 domestic cases.
Hanoi is collecting 1 million samples for COVID-19 screening tests from residents in the areas and 13 groups of people at high risk from August 18 to 20, the city's Centre for Disease Control (CDC) said.
Vietnam now boasts a nationwide healthcare network with 1,665 hospitals, 384 of which are non-public, supported by local commune- and ward-level stations. At the end of 2024, hospital bed capacity reached 34 per 10,000 people, slightly above the global average.
The 56-year-old patient from Quang Tri province was discharged in stable condition as he no longer experienced shortness of breath and was able to walk, move around, and eat normally.
Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Vu Trung, Director of the Pasteur Institute, said that under the MoU, the two sides committed to promoting diverse and practical collaborative activities, including joint conferences and workshops, exchanges of scholars, researchers and students, sharing academic materials, and the development of specific programmes and projects in scientific research, training, and epidemic prevention.
TytoCare, a leading Israeli telemedicine company based in Netanya, is willing to work with Vietnamese regulators, insurers, and healthcare providers to develop a sustainable digital health ecosystem.
The partnership is under the framework of a Memorandum of Understanding on the development and implementation of the National Action Plan on Breast Cancer and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control, signed in Hanoi on July 22.
An estimated 7 million Vietnamese are currently living with diabetes, but about 50% remain undiagnosed, a dangerous gap that is fuelling serious, preventable complications and increasing the burden on the healthcare system.
In 2024, Vietnam achieved 99% coverage for the first dose of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine, up from 80% in 2023. Immunisation coverage in the country has not only rebounded to the high levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic but has now surpassed the rates recorded in 2019.
Health authorities in HCM City have issued an urgent alert after six people died from dengue fever, amid a spike in infections driven by the onset of the rainy season.
During the peak months of July and August 2025, the National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT) needs at least 90,000 units of blood to supply 180 hospitals in the northern region. However, despite continuous efforts, the reserve blood is still short of 30,000 units.
The Hanoi ceremony highlighted efforts to ensure all citizens, especially women and youth, can access accurate information and healthcare services to make informed reproductive choices.
After such a long time, the law has revealed many limitations, prompting the Ministry of Health (MoH) to gather opinions to amend the law to give more chances to thousands of patients every year.
Currently, cardiovascular specialists from the 108 Military Central Hospital are working alongside a team of Prof.Dr. Jan D. Schmitto, Deputy Director of MHH’s Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery on clinical trials for MCS devices, implanted in heart failure patients either as a bridge to transplantation or as permanent treatment.
The centre not only serves residents living on the island, but also receives tens of thousands of visitors every year, according to Assoc Prof Dr Tang Chi Thuong, Director of the HCM CIty Department of Health.
Not only does Vietnam attract international tourists with its landscapes, culture, and cuisine, but it is also gradually becoming a reliable destination for medical treatment, offering high-quality services at reasonable costs.
Over the past six months, 150 communal health stations in provinces including Ha Giang, Bac Kan, Lang Son, Lao Cai, Lai Chau, Yen Bai, Tay Ninh, Hau Giang, Ben Tre and Ca Mau have been equipped with information technology systems. In addition, 117 key provincial healthcare workers have received training, with thousands more expected to follow.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Ministry of Health swiftly launched a telemedicine programme, connecting more than 1,000 medical establishments nationwide. The model, which remains in operation, has benefited tens of thousands of patients, including foreign nationals.
After more than three weeks of intensive treatment, the patient's pneumonia improved, breathing stabilised, sedation was reduced, and the breathing tube was removed. He is now conscious, able to eat orally, and in recovery.
Collecting swab samples for COVID-19 testing (Photo: VNA) 
