The Government has just issued Decree No. 350/2026/ND-CP stipulating the regime of professional preferential allowances for medical staff, including notable regulations related to people working in population work.
According to Article 2 of the Decree, the subjects of application include public employees and contract workers working in public non-business units operating in areas under the state management of the health sector. Among the listed areas is the population sector.
Cases where population officials can receive allowances of 70% - 80%
A noteworthy point of Decree 350/2026/ND-CP is that population is identified as one of the specialized medical fields.
Clause 4, Article 3 stipulates that medical professionals are people with appropriate professional qualifications, assigned by competent authorities to professional and nghiệp vụ positions in the fields of disease prevention; medical examination, treatment, rehabilitation; traditional medicine; pharmaceuticals, cosmetics; food safety; medical equipment; medical examination, forensic, forensic psychiatry; population; social protection; prevention and combat of social evils.
Meanwhile, point b, clause 2, Article 4 stipulates the 70% allowance level applicable to medical professionals at commune-level health stations, preventive health facilities in the remaining areas; provincial and city disease control centers; provincial and city border health quarantine centers; preventive health institutes.
Comparing these two regulations, civil servants working as medical professionals in the field of population, if they meet the regulations in Clause 4, Article 3 and work at establishments under Point b, Clause 2, Article 4, are subject to the application of the 70% allowance level.
This is also consistent with the regulations in point a, clause 6, Article 4: the 30% level for civil servants working in population work only applies when they are not in the cases specified in clauses 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, Article 4.
For public employees working in medical expertise at commune-level health stations, preventive health facilities in border and island areas; in commune areas II (difficult communes), region III (especially difficult communes) ethnic minority and mountainous areas according to the Government's regulations, the allowance level is regulated at 80%. Population officials at health stations and preventive health facilities in these areas are also eligible for the 80% allowance.
The Decree stipulates that each civil servant and contract worker assigned to many jobs with different levels of professional preferential allowances is only entitled to one highest level of professional preferential allowance.
In which cases do people working in population work enjoy a 30% rate?
Direct regulations on the allowance level for civil servants working in population work are in point a, clause 6, Article 4 of Decree 350/2026/ND-CP.
Accordingly, the 30% allowance level applies to "officials working in health education and population communication", but comes with the exclusion condition of excluding cases specified in Clauses 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 Article 4.
Thus, not all civil servants working in population work are only entitled to the 30% allowance level. The 30% allowance level is for civil servants working in population work at regional health centers, sub-departments...
The Decree takes effect from September 9, 2026.
Joy after years of waiting for policies
In the years of the tense COVID-19 epidemic, many grassroots population officials and medical forces participated in epidemic prevention and control, sticking to the area, propagating and mobilizing people and performing many assigned tasks.
However, when Decree 05/2023/ND-CP was issued, raising the professional preferential allowance to 100% for preventive medicine and grassroots health officials subject to application in the period from January 1, 2022 to the end of December 31, 2023, cadres working in population - family planning are not in the group entitled to the 100% level according to the guidance of the Ministry of Health.
The disparity in allowance regimes has made many population officials worried. Lao Dong Newspaper has had many articles reflecting the contributions, difficulties and recommendations of this team, contributing to conveying the voice from the grassroots level to management agencies.
Up to now, Decree 350/2026/ND-CP has clearly defined the population belonging to the field of medical expertise. Civil servants working in medical expertise in the field of population at commune-level health stations in corresponding cases can enjoy allowances of 70% or 80% depending on the area.
After years of waiting, the new policy is a great joy and a practical recognition of the persistent contributions of the population work team at the grassroots level.
