Medical staff struggle
In Nghe An, the Provincial Dermatology Hospital - a group 2 autonomous unit under the Department of Health, is in a state of serious difficulty. Established in 2019 on the basis of upgrading the Nghe An Anti-Ongrology - Dermatology Center, the hospital currently has 41 staff and civil servants. However, due to insufficient revenue to cover expenses, up to now, 33 civil servants have been owed salaries for 11 months.
The hospital does not have a director, deputy director and chief accountant, further complicating the financial problem. The lack of infrastructure and equipment is also the reason why hospitals have difficulty attracting patients.
In Hue, although the basic salary has been adjusted to VND 2,340,000 from July 1, 2024 according to Decree 73/2024 of the Government, by October 2024, many public hospitals managed by the Department of Health have not yet paid salaries at the new level. The main reasons come from the shortage of salary reform sources and the delay in adjusting the salary structure in medical service prices. Competition from central hospitals and private hospitals also makes it difficult for many public health facilities in Hue to attract patients, reducing revenue.
Ms. Pham Thi Thanh Thuy (name changed), an officer at a health station in Thuan Hoa district (Hue city), shared: In my 29 years in the profession, I have never seen such a long-term unpaid salary situation (I personally owed my salary in December 2024 and suffered in the fourth quarter of 2024). Couples working in the health sector are struggling to make ends meet. We hope to have specific feedback and get paid soon to stabilize our lives".
Solving unpaid wages
Faced with prolonged unpaid wages, Nghe An and Hue health sectors are implementing solutions to remove difficulties.
In Nghe An, the Department of Health has assigned Mr. Tran Minh Tue - Deputy Director of the Department - to be directly in charge of the Dermatology Hospital, and at the same time assigned the Chief Accountant of the Department of Health to support financial work. The Department is also working with the provincial Social Insurance to re-sign the health insurance medical examination and treatment contract to create a stable source of income. In addition, the hospital financial restructuring plan, debt review and resource balance are also being implemented. If the unpaid wages continue, Nghe An Department of Health will report to the Provincial People's Committee to have a direction for final settlement.
In Hue, the Department of Health is waiting for additional salary sources from competent authorities. In October 2024, the Department of Health issued a document requesting an additional VND 66.7 billion from the state budget. After being supplemented, the funds were transferred to the participating units for payment. At the same time, the province also considered adjusting the management model, when transferring Health Centers to localities, there will be closer coordination in financial allocation.
Currently, the Department of Health has re-evaluated the level of autonomy in job positions receiving salaries from career revenue of each specific unit in the area to propose to the competent authority to decide on the level of autonomy of each unit to be more reasonable. At the same time, the Department of Health has submitted a document to the competent authority to provide additional funding, and when granted, it will request the units to make payments in accordance with regulations.
Director of the Hue City Department of Health Tran Kiem Hao emphasized that to avoid recurring unpaid wages, medical facilities need to improve service quality, invest in infrastructure, equipment and promote communication on technical categories to attract patients to medical examination and treatment through the initial route.
Speaking with Lao Dong, Mr. La Phuc Thanh - Director of the Hue City Department of Finance - said that he had received a document from the Department of Health requesting additional funding. Currently, the Department of Finance is taking steps to report to the Hue City People's Committee to soon have funding to pay for medical staff in accordance with regulations.
