title: The political process and the private health sector's role in Vietnam.
abstract: Vietnam has experienced a period of economic and political transition from a command economy to one of market socialism. This transition has precipitated a shift in the policies concerning the private sector, as well as increased demand for services from the private health sector. The private sector has evolved, though more rapidly in the Ho Chi Minh City area, with the passing of laws and regulations concerning private practice. The policy maker's concern is to maintain the equity gains realized under the public health system while using the private sector growth to make improvements in the system's efficiency. The political process enabling expansion of the private health sector has been slow, and will continue to be measured as it seeks to create a national health system with a rational integration of the public and private sectors.
authors.affiliation: Hanoi Medical School, Vietnam.
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Dung
mesh_terms: D003906:Developing Countries; D005380:Financing, Government; D005382:Financing, Personal; D006291:Health Policy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000639:trends*; D006302:Health Services Research; D011050:Policy Making; D011057:Politics; D017149:Private Sector; D011332:Privatization / Q000639:trends; D014744:Vietnam