On March 19, 2026, in Hanoi, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan received Prof. Dr. Nagato Natsume, President of the Japan Oral Care Association. The meeting focused on evaluating community support projects and discussing new standards for medical training and practice in both nations.
Key discussion points:
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Support for National Licensing Exams: The Vietnamese side expressed interest in learning from Japan’s experience to prepare for its first national medical practitioner licensing exam in 2027. Prof. Natsume also hoped that Vietnamese healthcare professionals would soon meet the standards to practice in Japan.
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Improving Patient Safety: Japan shared its model of independent units for investigating medical incidents and the reconciliation dialogue mechanism between healthcare facilities and patients’ families. This approach has significantly reduced clinical risks in Japan and is proposed for pilot implementation in Vietnam.
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Sustaining Humanitarian Projects: Prof. Natsume pledged to continue his commitment to the surgical network for children with facial deformities in Vietnam. Since 1992, he has directly supported thousands of surgeries, provided modern medical equipment, and funded Master’s programs in speech therapy at Hanoi Medical University.
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Grassroots Healthcare Development: Projects to enhance the capacity of district-level hospitals and establish a data management center for congenital malformations are being accelerated to create more sustainable and comprehensive healthcare solutions.
This partnership is evolving beyond charitable activities into a strategic transfer of healthcare management technology and the international standardization of medical human resources.