Key Development
During a strategic working session with the Ministry of Health on August 3, 2026, Assoc. Prof. Tang Chi Thuong, MD, PhD—Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health—officially petitioned the central government to issue a new Circular on Pre-Hospital Emergency Medical Services (EMS). The core of the proposal focuses on establishing a clear statutory distinction between Emergency Ambulances and Non-Emergency Patient Transport Vehicles (NEMT), ending the unauthorized use of sirens and priority lights on public roads.
Concurrently, HCMC health authorities called for legalizing diverse emergency transit modalities (including two-wheeled motorcycle response units for narrow alleys and expert rapid-response vehicles), mandating participation in the 115 Emergency Network across all qualified healthcare facilities, and establishing formal Paramedic certification pathways for emergency drivers.
Why It Matters
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Eliminating Priority Siren Abuse: Non-emergency transport vehicles (carrying stable patients or lacking medical personnel) frequently activate emergency sirens and lights to bypass traffic. This practice creates road hazards and erodes public compliance with legitimate emergency vehicles.
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Transparent Tariff & Reimbursement Frameworks: Clearly categorizing vehicle functions is a prerequisite for the Ministry of Health and Vietnam Social Security (VSS) to establish distinct billing codes for specialized pre-hospital resuscitation versus basic administrative transport.
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Transitioning from Voluntary to Mandatory Participation: Proposed regulations will legally obligate leaders of both public and private hospitals to contribute vehicles, personnel, and infrastructure to the municipal 115 Emergency Network, replacing the previous voluntary framework.
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Professionalizing the Paramedic Workforce: Standardizing ambulance drivers into certified Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Responders (Paramedics) enables them to perform chest compressions, hemorrhage control, and assist clinical teams during transport.
Healthcare Insight Analysis
From the perspective of Healthcare Insight, HCMC’s proposal represents a fundamental Systemic Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Reform necessary for modernizing urban healthcare infrastructure in major metropolitan areas.
Historically, the term “Ambulance” has been treated generically under road traffic laws and health regulations. This regulatory ambiguity allowed private transport operators to run under-equipped vehicles without defibrillators, ventilators, or clinical staff while continuing to use priority sirens to charge premium rates. Establishing clear legal classifications introduces a bifurcated system:
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Dedicated Emergency EMS Units: Fully equipped with advanced life-support technology (mobile ECMO/ECPR kits, transport ventilators, cardiac monitors), staffed by trained clinical or paramedic personnel, and granted full traffic priority rights (sirens and lights permitted).
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Non-Emergency Medical Transport (NEMT): Restricted to transporting clinically stable patients, hospital discharges, or routine appointments, with a strict ban on using priority sirens or lights.
The practical value of structured EMS deployment is demonstrated by the Satellite Emergency Station at Nhan Dan Gia Dinh Hospital – Campus 2 (District 1). In the first half of 2026, the station executed 526 dispatches, reducing average onsite response times to 15.9 minutes (with nearly 70% of calls reached within 20 minutes). Connecting out-of-hospital ECPR (ECMO-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation) protocols directly to the tertiary center achieved a 44% survival rate across 9 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest cases—aligning with international benchmarks. This integrated EMS framework also earned international recognition under the Angels Awards program for pre-hospital stroke notifications.
Market Implications
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Tightening Audits on Private Transport Providers: Private transport operators will face comprehensive regulatory audits. Vehicles failing to meet specialized equipment standards will lose priority siren rights and be re-registered as basic NEMT units.
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Surging Demand for Compact Pre-Hospital MedTech: Standardizing emergency ambulance criteria will drive procurement of ruggedized, transport-grade medical equipment (automated CPR devices, portable AEDs, multi-parameter transport monitors).
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Establishing Formal Paramedic Training Pipelines: Formalizing the “Pre-Hospital Care Responder” designation creates new academic and certification programs across medical universities, building a dedicated paramedic workforce for the national healthcare system.
Proposed EMS Regulatory Matrix
| Operational Parameter | Dedicated Emergency Ambulance (EMS) | Non-Emergency Transport (NEMT) | Two-Wheeled Emergency Unit (Motorbike EMS) |
| Primary Mission | Acute critical care, cardiac arrest, severe trauma response. | Stable inter-facility transfers, hospital discharges, outpatient transport. | Rapid deployment through narrow alleys and dense urban traffic. |
| Required Medical Equipment | Transport ventilator, AED/Defibrillator, Resuscitation drugs, Mobile ECPR/ECMO. | Stretcher, personal oxygen cylinder, basic first-aid supplies. | Specialized trauma backpack, portable AED, pocket oxygen. |
| Staffing Matrix | Physician/Nurse/Certified Paramedic + EMS-trained driver. | Driver + transport assistant (clinical credentials optional). | 1–2 Rapid-response Paramedics or Emergency Physicians. |
| Traffic Priority Status | SIRENS & LIGHTS PERMITTED during active missions. | STRICTLY PROHIBITED from using sirens/lights. | Equipped with specialized municipal priority signals. |