A doctor examines a patient at Thao Dien health clinic, Thu Duc City (Photo: SGGP)
Mr. Binh made the statement at a conference on survey results of grassroots medical activities in the city and the project to improve the capacity of healthcare facilities in wards and districts in the new normal conducted by the Culture and Social Committee under the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council on November 10.
At present, Ho Chi Minh City has 317/319 medical centers in wards and districts that meet the national standard on grassroots healthcare accounting for 99.4 percent. However, all health stations in districts and Thu Duc city need to be repaired and renovated.
Speaking at the conference, Director of District 3 Health Center Dr. Nguyen Thai said that more open policies for social contributions to the healthcare sector are needed especially specific mechanisms to keep good medical workers. He disclosed a story that a female medical worker resigned from her job because his husband got angry at her low income while she left the family for four months to work.
The director petitioned for facility investment and supply of ambulances as in the last time, the center had to use a construction vehicle to transport patients for emergency treatment.
A representative of Binh Chanh District Health Center expected that more medical staff will be sent to the center because being a large suburban district, Binh Chanh is a densely populated district. Plus, to keep medical workers in the center, there should be good salary regimes for doctors with practicing certificates to attract good ones.
Currently, the Department of Health of Ho Chi Minh City has submitted a proposal to propose mechanisms and policies to strengthen and improve the capacity of the grassroots health services. According to the department's report, half of the medical centers in districts have had no leaders for years because of regulations. Worse, HCMC has 2,3 healthcare workers per 10,000 population in the city, much lower than other areas in the country and Hanoi. Some health centers in districts have four or five medical workers.
Therefore, in the draft project on improving the health capacity of wards and districts in the new normal, the city Department of Health proposed for more medical workers for a health station from 10 to 20 staff per healthcare center. Moreover, a healthcare center needs general doctors, traditional medicine doctors, laboratory technicians, public health workers, and information technology staff.
Regarding the policy of attracting good medical staff for healthcare centers, the Department of Health recommended that the city budget support salary payment for contracted laborers instead of using healthcare centers’ revenue. In addition, Ho Chi Minh City should have a bonus policy for retired doctors, other medical staff, and volunteers working at healthcare centers.
