Strengthening training for some unattractive majors and disadvantaged areas
On February 24, at a working session with the Ministry of Health on the occasion of the 70th Anniversary of Vietnamese Doctors' Day (February 27, 1955 - February 27, 2025), General Secretary To Lam said: decades ago, we have clearly identified: "medicine is a special profession, which needs to be selected, trained, used and treated especially". However, looking back, we have only had special selection and training, not special use and treatment. General Secretary To Lam suggested that the health sector improve treatment policies and train high-quality medical human resources.
According to the Ministry of Health, in recent times, one of the solutions set out in the Project on developing medical human resources for the period 2023 - 2030, with a vision to 2050, is to increase training of medical human resources for some less attractive specialties and disadvantaged areas. Increase medical human resource training facilities in mountainous areas, remote areas, and disadvantaged socio-economic regions, especially in the Northwest and Central Highlands; encourage a model of linking training facilities and practice facilities in localities. Review, adjust and supplement specific policies and mechanisms, exempt and reduce tuition fees to encourage students in difficult fields to attract and encourage medical human resources to work in disadvantaged areas.
At the same time, continue to implement the training mechanism for sending recruitment, on-duty training, and inter-connected training for a number of majors and universities to ensure sufficient medical human resources and create resources for postgraduate training in areas that are difficult to attract, such as Labor, Phong, Infectious Diseases, Mental Health, pathology, forensic medicine, forensic psychiatry, Emergency Resuscitation, Population, Traditional Medicine, Preventive Medicine.
"Research and issue a special mechanism to encourage students and trainees to study majors that are difficult to attract after graduation to return to their localities. Localities will develop appropriate policies to attract medical staff, especially high-quality human resources, postgraduate specialists working in disadvantaged areas... Amend and supplement salary regimes, preferential allowances according to occupations to attract medical staff working in difficult specialties in disadvantaged areas" - the Ministry of Health emphasized.
In addition, it is necessary to improve the effectiveness of the combined military-civilian medicine program; develop an address-based training model to ensure medical human resources for border areas and islands.
One of the most determined localities in attracting medical human resources is Quang Ninh, when the province proposed to extend the Resolution on attracting doctors to the locality
Mr. Nguyen Trong Dien - Director of the Department of Health of Quang Ninh province - said that in 2025, the Quang Ninh health sector strives to attract more than 200 doctors to units according to Resolution 28.
"If it is not enough and the Resolution expires at the end of 2025, we will recommend that the People's Council of Quang Ninh province extend it to have enough good personnel for the grassroots levels" - Mr. Dien shared.
Along with Decree 28, Quang Ninh also issued Resolution No. 05/2022/NQ-HDND, dated December 9, 2022 on postgraduate training support policies for civil servants of public service units in the health sector of Quang Ninh province for the period 2023 - 2025. Accordingly, civil servants who are sent by competent authorities for postgraduate training are supported one time, with the following levels: 2 billion VND/person for doctors and nurses with 2 training abroad; 250 million VND/person for doctors and nurses with 2 training abroad; 1 billion VND/person for doctors and nurses with 1 training abroad; 100 million VND/person for doctors and nurses with 1 training abroad. To date, 73 health sector officials are studying under this resolution.
According to the Department of Health of Quang Ninh province, in 2025, after the civil servants graduate from university according to regulations, the units will send applications for postgraduate training support policies to the Department of Health for synthesis and sent to the Department of Home Affairs.
Improving income, improving the lives of doctors
Meanwhile, Ho Chi Minh City continues to attract doctors to the locality. In early 2025, 3 young doctors returned to work at 3 commune health stations in Can Gio district (HCMC), according to the practice program at the general hospital attached to the health station.
According to the Can Gio District Medical Center, this ensures the target of 100% of medical stations having doctors. At the same time, increase the number of young doctors to serve community health care at health stations. Thereby, contributing to improving the health of people in the district.
According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, the whole city currently has 310 health stations, of which, there are still a few health stations without doctors. The health sector will submit to the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee to request the retention of the payroll for health stations because the payroll for health is the basis for serving the population.
In the Mekong Delta, the ratio of doctors per 10,000 people is lower than the national average. In Can Tho City, statistics at the end of 2024 show that there are currently 3 general hospitals (750 beds), 9 medical centers (240 beds) and 80 health stations; a total of 1,950 district and commune health workers, 563 hamlet and regional health workers. 100% of stations have doctors; 82.9% have pharmacists; 87.5% have obstetrics and gynecology staff. The number of grassroots health care workers has improved quite well compared to the end of 2022.
Speaking with Lao Dong, Mr. Hoang Quoc Cuong - Director of the Department of Health of Can Tho City - said that in order to create more revenue for doctors and nurses at health stations, the Department will propose a pilot mechanism when implementing family doctor clinics, such as socialization to implement services such as vaccination, service testing, physical therapy for rehabilitation, acupuncture, home health check-ups at the requested medical examination and treatment price...
"With those services, if implemented well, it will be possible to expand the chain of Family Doctor clinics in Can Tho City, thereby increasing the revenue of the staff at the Station" - Mr. Cuong said.
"Recently, Dong Thap has additional funding, additional rewards, and support for medical staff during the 2025 Lunar New Year, so everyone is excited" - Mr. Doan Tan Buu, Director of the Department of Health of Dong Thap province said.
