Improvements in management was the topic of focus at a conference held recently, which attracted the attendance of hospital leaders, the Center for Preventive Medicine in Hanoi and the World Health Organisation. The Ministry of Health stressed the need for hospital management to be equipped with adequate management skills, especially now that hospitals are becoming financially autonomous. The first training programme attracted over 100 hospital leaders. The programme required participants to create development plans, which will be analysed and assessed by experts in Vietnam and abroad.