Lack of human resources in the medical sector
The Government has just approved the Plan to implement the planning of the network of health facilities for the period 2021 - 2030, with a vision to 2050, emphasizing the goal of developing high-quality medical human resources.
According to the target proposed by the Ministry of Health, by 2025, Vietnam needs to have 15 doctors and 25 nurses per 10,000 people; by 2030, it will increase to 19 doctors and 33 nurses/10,000 people.
The forecast of the Ministry of Health shows that the demand for medical human resources will continue to increase sharply in the coming years, especially after 2030. The risk of nursing shortages is assessed as more serious, with the shortage twice as much as that of doctors. In the period of 2021 - 2030, the whole country needs to add about 173,400 doctors and up to 313,900 nurses.
Of which, the Red River Delta region has the largest demand with about 43,500 doctors and 76,100 nurses; the Southeast region needs 34,900 doctors and 61,700 nurses; the North Central and Central Coast regions need 33,400 doctors and 59,800 nurses. Ensuring adequate medical human resources, especially the nursing team, is considered a key factor to improve the quality of health care and meet the requirements of developing a modern and sustainable health system.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, a wave of human resource transfers in the health sector occurred across the country. According to statistics from the Ministry of Health, from January 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022, the whole country had 9,680 health workers who applied for dismissal or quit their jobs, of which 8,810 people were under the management of the Department of Health of provinces and cities and 870 people were under the management of public service units under the Ministry. Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Dong Nai, Binh Duong are localities with high numbers of job losses.
The main reasons include: High work pressure, low income (new doctors working in public units only about 4.9 million VND/month, 3-6 times lower than in the private sector), lack of facilities and medical equipment, and pressure from family life and society.
Major recruitment plans
Bach Mai Hospital has just announced a major recruitment plan for 2025-2026. The hospital recruits more than 1,000 locations nationwide to supplement a team of capable and highly qualified human resources.
Associate Professor, Dr. Dao Xuan Co - Director of Bach Mai Hospital - affirmed: Bach Mai Hospital always considers people as the core factor, deciding sustainable development. Over the years, the hospital has persistently implemented a human resource development strategy in an in-depth, professional and methodical direction, harmoniously combining theory training, practice, medical ethics practice and professional skills.
In particular, the hospital pays great attention to the team of resident doctors - excellent students selected from leading medical universities.
At Bach Mai Hospital, resident doctors are not only learners, but also important collaborators in medical examination and treatment, scientific research and technical transfer. Investing in this force is an investment in the future, a strategic step to create a modern, humane and sustainable healthcare system - Associate Professor, Dr. Dao Xuan Co emphasized.
108 Central Military Hospital also set a target of recruiting more than 600 high-quality medical staff in 2025. Prof. Dr. Le Huu Song, Director of 108 Central Military Hospital, said that in 2025, the Hospital will coordinate with medical universities across the country to introduce human resource needs and recruitment regulations. It is expected that the Hospital will add 200 doctors and 400 highly qualified nurses, meeting both daily professional requirements and academic tasks.
Member of the Party Central Committee, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan said that the Ministry of Health is focusing on amending Decree 56/ND-CP on preferential allowances for health workers, amending Decision 73 on on-call allowances, special regimes for health workers, amending Decision 75/ND-CP on allowances for health workers in villages and hamlets.
