After the merger, Khanh Hoa currently has about 12 doctors/10,000 people, while the target by 2030 must reach 14 doctors/10,000 people according to the national plan.
On average, this province needs to add about 140 doctors each year. That is not a small number if placed in the context of increasingly fierce labor competition right in the public sector, between localities and large cities.
This is not a private matter of Khanh Hoa, but a common situation of many other localities across the country after merging administrative boundaries.
If there are no timely actions and reasonable solutions and policies, the gap in the quality of health services between regions, localities, and levels will widen.
Khanh Hoa's proposal to provide one-time support of 500 million VND for professors who are doctors, 400 million VND for associate professors, 200 million VND for doctors, specialist doctors level II... shows that this locality has accepted to step into real competition.
Not only stopping at initial support, the draft also stipulates monthly allowances from 2.5 - 5 million VND, housing rental support, travel expenses, especially prioritizing doctors going to communes, mountainous areas, and islands.
From a policy perspective, this is a reasonable approach. When the supply is limited, if the locality wants to attract talented people, it must have an attractive or acceptable "price".
In the context of local budget pressure, the allocation of more than 37 billion VND for 2026 alone to implement this policy shows a clear priority for the public health sector.
However, money is only a necessary condition. Attracting doctors is one thing, but whether to keep doctors is another matter.
Reality shows that a good doctor is not just looking for income. They need a qualified practicing environment, from modern equipment, professional processes, advanced training opportunities, autonomy mechanisms... to develop their expertise.
If hospitals lack machinery, lack teams, lack conditions to deploy new techniques, then even with high initial support, doctors will find it difficult to stick with them for a long time.
In the draft, Khanh Hoa raised the issue that policy beneficiaries must work for at least 5 years, and if they violate, they must reimburse expenses.
This regulation is necessary to retain doctors, avoiding the situation of receiving money and then leaving. But in the long term, retaining talented people with a positive environment will be more sustainable than retaining them with sanctions.
Along with that, it is necessary to synchronize solutions, from investing in facilities, improving hospital governance, improving the working environment to creating a clear career development roadmap.
Attracting doctors with money is a necessary starting point. But only when doctors feel that they can develop their careers, be respected for their expertise and have conditions to contribute for a long time, will the problem of public health human resources be truly solved.
