1.

According

to

Kingdon

and

Thurber

(1984),

public

policy can be generally understood as the means by which the

government can use to guarantee the legal needs of its citizens with
actions regulated in the constitution of that government. Moreover, a
public policy is not a tangible thing but an ambiguously theoretical set
of

laws,

legal

documents

of

commands

or

instructions

and

authoritative rules constituted through a governmental process. The

importance of public policy to the development of a nation in terms of
economy, politics or other significant issues is undisputed for it
profound influence of every decision it makes to the whole society. An
effective public policy at a right time may revive a stagnant economy,
as we can see certain example of Japan (investing in human
development), South Korea or Singapore, etc.

However, in the international scale, public policy management and

execution is facing substantial obstacles in the context of unpredictable

changing global situations in many aspects. One of the most urgent policy
challenge that most of the countries is facing is health care issue. As we
know, health is the most physically valuable asset of a human ( Stokols, D., et
al, 2003) by which he or she can exist and contribute his or her efficiency to

the public development of the entire society. The mission of protecting and
facilitating citizens to a good health care system in terms of health insurance,
medical care, etc. is strictly compulsory to any government. And the issue
may be encountered is the responsibility of the government to be fair in
providing its health care system to the people regardless of their age, class,
religion or state of mind. In developed counties such as Western countries,
the United States, Japan or Australia, every citizen equally receive health care
insurance provided by the government for a lifetime from its public hospitals
and

clinics.

Nevertheless,

the

situation

is

sadly

not

the

same

in

underdeveloped countries when people are facing death, diseases and other
harms to their health for the lack of governance within the counties such as
in African countries, India or China. As a citizen working in the area of public
policy of Vietnam, I can see certain problems that my country has to cope
with in achieving the standard health care system that is appropriate and

convenient for all people. The current controversial of Quinvaxem vaccine in

early days of 2016 has raise massive concerns among not only parents but
also the masses in the society (prominently the deaths of children after
taking vaccine from public clinics Thanh nien News 2015) of the
responsibility of governmental departments in implementing the vaccination
policy to children- the countrys future.
According to an analysis undertaken in 2015 November of solving the
problems of health care in emerging markets as Vietnam
(https://tapahtumat.tekes.fi/uploads/8c674776/Vietnam_My_Health_Tek
es_20151116-2676.pdf), the authors as foreign experts have done research
and given some useful recommendations for developing health care system
in my country. From my perspectives of a long term officer in the area of
public policy, the research has achieved its purpose of investigating the
current situations of Vietnams health care system from which to propose
solutions for the potential market of health care products. The good points of
the research is proposing the investment of international organizations of
health care to one of the most fastest growing economies in Asia where
people are willing to pay for high quality health care and medical care
packages, also supporting poor local people in remote areas to access
standard health care from professional experts. However, the lack of
knowledge in the insights of Vietnam governmental laws within the area has
led to infeasible solutions could make conflicts between the authors who are
doing the research and the local authorities such as implementing events
without permission despite of good original purposes.
2.
From my point of views, public policy is the most important area
in public administration which can greatly influence to the life of millions of
people. In my two years course which I may have the chance to take of
Master of Public Policy (MPP), I have list my top three goals to achieve at the
end of it and how your offered course can help me to fulfill.
First, to strengthen the knowledge and profound insights in the area of
public policy, when in Vietnam there is no official institution which specialize
in it. In addition, I think when I have the chance to participate in the course in
your country where public policy is executed at a high standard, I would gain
practical experiences which can help me enrich my profile for the report as
well as the position I would receive when getting home.

Second, at the end of two- year course, I would answer the question of
health care system in my country and how to solve current problems as the
position of a public policy officer. In other words, I believe with the knowledge
equipped by your course, I can come back and take part in the policy making
process of my institution to develop health care system at least in my
province. You might ask the question of why I have big concern of health care
issues. I can say it from my history of my family. When I was twenty, my
father got sick and had to go to the public

hospital. At that time, a bunch of paperwork such as certificates,

papers red seal required has delayed my father from medical care and
made his sickness got worse. The sequelae of that still followed my
father till now and I have decided to study in this areas to change the
limitations in Vietnams public policy.
Finally, I would have the opportunity to expand my career ladder
after finishing the course. I always believe bigger power comes with
bigger responsibility and I would take that responsibility to help more
people to get easier in their lives with timely and suitable policies I
could make or contribute in making them. With the insights and
experience observed from the course, I hope to support my local
provinces people to be able to thrive and receive deserving
opportunities to change their lives.

Reference

1.

Kingdon,

J.

W.,

&

Thurber,

J.

A.

(1984). Agendas,

alternatives, and public policies (Vol. 45). Boston: Little, Brown.

2.
Stokols, D., Grzywacz, J. G., McMahan, S., & Phillips, K. (2003).
Increasing the health promotive capacity of human environments. American Journal
of Health Promotion, 18(1), 4-13.

3.

[Online] 7th infant death after Vietnam brings back

controversial vaccine Quinvaxem

Thanh
Nien
News

(2015)

Available

at:

http://www.thanhniennews.com/health/7th-infant-death-aftervietnam-brings-back-controversial-vaccine-quinvaxem-51032.html
Accessed on 2016 January 13
4.
[Online] FUTURE HEALTHCARE SOLUTIONS IN EMERGING
MARKETS:

VIETNAM

PASI

TOIVA,

(16.11.2015).

Available

at:

https://tapahtumat.tekes.fi/uploads/8c674776/Vietnam_My_Health_Teke
s_20151116-2676.pdf
Accessed on 2016 January 13