On September 20, Ms. Bui Thi Thanh Hieu - in charge of Son Tay Commune Health Station - said that from August 1, 2026 to now, the station has no doctors.
Previously, Son Tay Commune Health Station had a doctor who was transferred to work from December 2025. However, by the beginning of August 2026, this doctor had quit his job.
We have requested the Son Tay Commune People's Committee and the Department of Health to mobilize and arrange doctors for the station, but they are still not available," Ms. Hieu shared.
According to Ms. Hieu, the lack of doctors partially affects the activities of examination, treatment and primary health care for people. She hopes that the station will soon be staffed with doctors to better ensure medical examination and treatment.
Mr. Pham Hoai An - Chairman of Son Tay Commune People's Committee - confirmed that previously the Commune Health Station had a doctor, but this person had resigned from the beginning of August 2026.
According to Mr. An, the locality has repeatedly mobilized the doctor to stay on duty, but this person still decided to quit his job, so the locality had to resolve to let him quit.
Working far from home and possibly income at the health station is not commensurate, so they are determined to resign," Mr. An shared.
After the doctor quit his job, Son Tay Commune People's Committee reported and proposed to the Department of Health to arrange for another doctor to work at the station. However, it has not been arranged yet.
Not only Son Tay Commune Health Station, but also some other health stations in Ha Tinh are also lacking doctors.
According to the investigation of Lao Dong Newspaper reporters, Ha Tinh currently has 69 health stations in 69 communes and wards, with an average of 3.18 doctors/station. However, the number of doctors is not evenly distributed between stations.
Implementing Resolution 72 of the Politburo on a number of breakthrough solutions to strengthen the protection, care and improvement of people's health, Ha Tinh province has issued an action program.
Accordingly, by the end of 2027, the whole province must arrange 4 doctors/health stations. With this target, according to calculations, Ha Tinh will lack 58 doctors at health stations.
Not only health stations, many health centers (old district hospitals) and provincial public hospitals in Ha Tinh are also lacking doctors.
One of the identified reasons is that private clinics and private hospitals attract doctors with better incomes. Over the past time, many doctors working at public health facilities have quit their jobs to transfer to private hospitals and clinics.
In that context, the recruitment and arrangement of enough doctors for health stations is forecast to face many difficulties. Many stations are located far from the center, while income is not attractive enough compared to other medical facilities, especially private hospitals and private clinics.
