MẠNG LƯỚI CHĂM SÓC RĂNG MIỆNG TẠI THÀNH PHỐ HỒ CHÍ MINH TRƯỚC ĐẠI DỊCH COVID-19

Abstract

Objective: To survey the oral health care network in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This cross-sectional study described the oral health care network in HCMC between 2016 and 2017. Data on oral or maxillofacial facilities, including 13 ministry hospitals, 15 city or state hospitals, 24 district hospitals, 83 ward/commune medical stations, 20 private hospitals, 93 polyclinics specializing in dentistry, 1,242 dental clinics, and 147 school oral care settings were collected. The data were obtained including the real addresses of facilities and their exact location coordinates (longitude and latitude) on Google Maps. QGIS software was used to map the city's oral health care network and recorded the ratio of odonto-stomatological doctors per 10,000 population and dental facilities per 10,000 population. Results: A total of 1,490 oral or maxillofacial establishments in HCMC were identified. The distribution of these facilities was as follows: 804 (53.96%) in the city center, 501 (33.62%) in the subcenter, and 185 (12.42%) in suburban areas. This included 135 state oral or maxillofacial facilities and 1,355 private establishments, which were distributed across the three regions. The ratio of oral or maxillofacial establishments per 10,000 people was 3.47 in the center, 1.50 in the subcenter, and 0.80 in the suburbs. Conclusion: This mapping survey revealed a dense oral health care network in the downtown area but a sparse network in the subcenter, while there were almost no oral health care facilities in suburban areas.