The shift towards electronic payment is one of the important goals that medical facilities across Da Nang are embracing. In particular, the impacts of the complicated global coronavirus pandemic have caused a surge in demand for contactless payments, accelerating the shift from cash to digital options. This positive transformation, therefore, helps reduce time, simplify administrative paperwork and limit in-person contact, thus ensuring safety and convenience for both hospitals and patients.

Medical fee payment conducted by scanning QR Pay codes at the Da Nang General Hospital

A wide range of non-cash payment forms

The Da Nang General Hospital is currently the leading medical establishment in Da Nang in terms of implementing non-cash hospital fee payment measures. Doctor Nguyen Thanh Trung, the hospital’s Deputy Director, said the Da Nang General Hospital is on track to implement many non-cash hospital fee payment solutions such as payments conducted via ATM, VISA and MASTER cards, e-wallets, QR codes, and smart health cards issued by the hospital.

“The Da Nang General Hospital regularly receives a large number of patients, which, in many cases, usually causes overload, thus driving in and out-patients into fatigue due to waiting for much time, and making cashiers feel stressed at work. Not only does non-cash payment solve these matters but it also save time, promote administrative reform in hospitals, and limit theft risks for patients’ family members”, said doctor Trung.

Patient Tran Dinh Khai, 56, from Quang Ngai City said, “It is a little confusing since it was the first time I had to use a debit card to pay my medical bills ”.He was shown how to use the card and it took around 10 minutes to make the payment. Next time he would not carry a lot of money like she used to when visiting the hospital.

For the time being, the hospital is cooperating with banks to deploy smart medical cards for patients. This is considered as the optimal solution towards building electronic medical records for patients in line with the roadmap initiated by the Vietnamese Ministry of Health.

Accordingly, all payment procedures are done via ATM cards with integrated patient information. It can be used for registering for diagnosis without having to furnish other papers such as health insurance cards and medical reports. Such a convenient move!

People can easily make an appointment for check-ups and treatment and pay hospital bills from their mobile phones instead of visiting the hospital and standing in long queues from very early in the morning.

Payments conducted via ATM, VISA and MASTER cards, e-wallets, QR codes, and smart health cards issued by the hospital have been promoted at the Da Nang General Hospital

Significantly streamlining medical examinations and treatment processes

According to doctor Ngo Thi Kim Yen, Director of the Department of Health, the non-cash payment of all hospital fees must be done in accordance with the national government's Resolution No. 02 / NQ-CP dated 1 January 2019 on the continuous implementation of key tasks and solutions to enhance the business environment, improve national competitiveness, and in an active response to guidelines by the Ministry of Health on accelerating the implementation of non-cash medical service expenses. 

The shift from cash to digital payments brings many benefits and serves as an inevitable trend. For patients and their family members, this service helps to streamline and simplify medical examination and treatment processes, minimise in-person transactions, especially in the context of complicated coronavirus.

By PHAN CHUNG- Translated by A.T