Dong Nai leverages its advantages to develop traditional medicine

Traditional medicine is not only a valuable national heritage but also plays an important role in protecting, caring for, and improving public health.

Traditional medicine treatment for a patient at Thuan My ITO Dong Nai Hospital. Photo: Hanh Dung

With its unique advantages, Dong Nai is making significant efforts to develop traditional medicine, combining the wisdom of Vietnamese medical traditions with modern medical achievements while creating new economic opportunities through local medicinal herbs.

A comprehensive traditional medicine network

According to Nguyen Van Binh, Deputy Director of the Dong Nai Department of Health, the city has established a relatively comprehensive traditional medicine healthcare system ranging from specialized hospitals to grassroots health facilities. Among the city's 44 hospitals and medical centers, 15 have established dedicated traditional medicine departments, and 20 operate traditional medicine units.

Notably, the public healthcare system includes two specialized traditional medicine hospitals with a combined capacity of 370 beds and is equipped with modern medical devices for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation.

At the grassroots level, 100% of commune and ward health stations provide traditional medicine services. Of these, 55 health stations have developed model medicinal herb gardens, serving both professional purposes and public education on the use of common medicinal plants for primary healthcare.

Alongside public healthcare facilities, private traditional medicine services have also expanded significantly, improving access to healthcare for residents.

One of Dong Nai’s notable strategies is integrating traditional medicine with modern medicine in treatment. This combined approach has proven effective in treating chronic diseases, musculoskeletal disorders, and rehabilitation following strokes or injuries. It also helps reduce medication use, minimize side effects, and improve patients’ quality of life.

Specialist Level II Dr. Phung Van Thanh, Director of Dong Nai Traditional Medicine Hospital, said the hospital has received substantial investment in modern medical equipment, including biochemical testing systems, 4D ultrasound machines, shockwave therapy devices, and intravascular laser equipment. These investments have enabled the hospital to introduce advanced treatment techniques. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the hospital also successfully applied several traditional medicine remedies, contributing to effective treatment outcomes for many COVID-19 patients in field hospitals.

Rich medicinal herb resources

In addition to its healthcare network, Dong Nai possesses considerable potential for medicinal herb development. According to the National Institute of Medicinal Materials under the Ministry of Health, Dong Nai’s fertile soil and tropical monsoon climate are highly suitable for cultivating a wide range of valuable medicinal plants. Within the Dong Nai Nature and Culture Reserve alone, more than 1,500 plant species have been recorded, including numerous rare, endemic, and economically valuable medicinal plants.

Deputy Director of the Department of Health Nguyen Van Binh added that the City People's Committee's plan on the conservation and development of medicinal materials up to 2025, with an orientation toward 2035, has set out many specific targets. These include conserving rare gene sources, developing concentrated medicinal plant cultivation areas, building traceability databases, securing seed supplies, and developing medicinal herb-based products.

By effectively utilizing its medicinal herb resources, traditional medicine gardens, professional workforce, and modern technologies, traditional medicine can contribute not only to public healthcare but also to the development of a green economy and a medicinal herb industry while preserving the nation’s medical heritage.

Le Truong Son, Member of the Standing Board of the Dong Nai Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the city People’s Committee

According to the plan, the city will conserve 18 rare and endemic medicinal plant species listed in the Vietnam Red Data Book and Viet Nam’s Red Book of Medicinal Plants. The city will also develop sustainable harvesting, propagation, and cultivation protocols in accordance with GACP-WHO standards. In addition, Dong Nai plans to promote 15 key medicinal plant species across three ecological regions. These include high-value plants such as: Eurycoma longifolia (Tongkat Ali), Cardamom, Yellow Camellia, Ardisia silvestris, Paramignya trimera, Abelmoschus sagittifolius, Crinum latifolium, Noni, Honeysuckle, and Ophiopogon japonicus. These species will be cultivated in concentrated production areas or intercropped with industrial and fruit crops.

The initiative is expected not only to conserve natural resources but also to create new economic opportunities for rural communities, diversify agricultural production, increase incomes, and establish value chains spanning research, cultivation, processing, and commercialization.

The city is also continuing preparations for the project on the National Garden for Conservation and Development of Medicinal Plants in the Southeastern Region within the Dong Nai Nature and Culture Reserve, including land-use planning adjustments and administrative procedures.

Le Truong Son, Member of the Standing Board of the Dong Nai Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the city People’s Committee, emphasized that Dong Nai enjoys significant advantages in traditional medicine development due to its extensive medicinal herb resources. With both Cat Tien National Park and Bu Gia Map National Park, the city possesses vast forest areas and rich medicinal plant reserves. He stressed that, alongside developing raw material zones, greater attention should be paid to regulating and supporting medicinal herb processing facilities.

Building a development strategy for traditional medicine

Despite positive achievements, Dong Nai still faces challenges in expanding traditional medicine services. The rate of examination and treatment using traditional medicine currently stands at only 6% in hospitals, 16% in medical centers, and 25% in health stations, which is lower than the set targets. Additionally, other challenges include uneven distribution of specialized personnel; inadequate facilities and equipment at grassroots healthcare facilities; and limited use of traditional medicine products covered by health insurance.

Specialist Level II Dr. Le Huu Hoa, Director of the Binh Phuoc Traditional Medicine Hospital, said that some new techniques, traditional medicines, herbal preparations, and effective traditional medicine treatment methods are not yet included in the health insurance payment lists. This forces patients to pay out of pocket or prevents the hospital from rolling them out widely. This has had some impact on patient admission and professional development in traditional medicine. Therefore, greater investment is needed in the traditional medicine sector, along with solutions to bottlenecks in health insurance-covered medical examinations and treatment. Only then can traditional medicine truly realize its full potential and effectiveness in healthcare.

Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee Le Truong Son highlighted the strong support from the Party and State leadership for the development of traditional medicine. During a recent working session with the Ministry of Health, Party General Secretary and State President To Lam emphasized the importance of traditional medicine in disease prevention, physical rehabilitation, elderly care, chronic disease management, and mental health support. He also called for the expansion of community-based non-drug therapies, such as acupuncture, therapeutic massage, and acupressure right at the commune and ward levels. According to Le Truong Son, integrating officially recognized traditional medicine services and remedies into comprehensive health insurance coverage is the key to bringing traditional medicine closer to the public. When treatment costs are fairly covered, citizens will be more likely to choose traditional medicine services at local healthcare facilities.

To capitalize on the strengths of traditional medicine, Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee Le Truong Son asked the Department of Health to urgently develop a traditional medicine development plan for the city for the last six months of 2026 and for 2027. The department was also asked to set objectives and development plans for subsequent phases. The priorities are to improve the quality of the traditional medicine workforce, build a medicinal plant database, and strengthen links among managers, scientists, businesses, and people to establish sustainable medicinal plant production chains.

By Hanh Dung – Translated by Mai Nga, Minho