Vietnam Disburses $19.34M State Funds for Health Projects in Jan-July: GSO

Vietnam is estimated to have disbursed VND410 billion ($19.34 million) worth of state funds for health projects in the first seven months of this year, meeting 47.5% of the year’s target. The figure represented an on-year fall of 28.6%, the government’s General Statistics Office (GSO) said in its monthly report. In July, the government disbursed VND71 billion for such projects, compared to the revised figure of VND67 billion in June. The domestic health sector has failed to meet the local demand because of a lack of qualified workers and poor infrastructure, which has resulted in an outflow of over $2 billion in overseas healthcare expenses each year. Total investment in healthcare services in Vietnam has remained low, accounting for only 7%-8% of gross domestic products (GDP). (GSO July Edition)