"Choosing a flagpole from a bundle of chopsticks" in personnel work

Ms. Cao Thi Hien - Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial People's Council chaired the meeting. Photo: Minh Chi

Through working with the Provincial Preventive Medicine Center, the Malaria - Parasite - Insect Control Center and the Leprosy - Dermatology Center, it was found that the units have implemented recruitment and staff management quite seriously according to regulations. In all 3 units, there are no professional contract workers or self-supporting contracts from the unit's career revenue.

However, the issue that the units are concerned about is that attracting high-quality human resources is still difficult (the Preventive Medicine Center has not been able to attract general practitioners) as well as ensuring the regime for this group.

Mr. Huynh Phuc Son - Director of the Center for Leprosy Prevention and Dermatology, for example, although the province has a policy to attract doctors with level I and level II specialties, the unit has attracted 1 doctor with level I specialties to work, but up to now there is no policy.

Mr. Huynh Phuc Son also informed that currently the entire health sector has 18 people in this case.

Mr. Huynh Phuc Son - Director of the Center for Leprosy Prevention and Dermatology reflected that the implementation of the policy to attract specialist doctors I is not guaranteed. Photo: Minh Chi

Besides, according to the spirit of Resolution 6 of the Central Committee (term XII), in the coming time, these 3 units together with 3 Centers for Population and Family Planning Service Counseling, Center for Reproductive Health Care, Center for Health Education and Communication will merge into the Provincial Center for Disease Control, there are some concerns.

The merger will contribute to reducing focal points, streamlining staff and overcoming overlaps in implementing preventive health tasks, but according to Mr. Nguyen Van Dinh - Director of the Preventive Medicine Center, the most difficult thing is how to choose the head when the heads in the units before the merger all had the same standards; at the same time, determining the model and method of operation to ensure full functions and professional tasks after the merger, because in the past at the district level, the merger between the Preventive Medicine Center and the District Health Center mainly focused on the field of examination and treatment and paid little attention to the prevention sector.

Mr. Nguyen Van Dinh - Director of the Center for Preventive Medicine, mentioned the difficulties in arranging leadership and human resources after merging provincial-level health service units. Photo: Minh Chi

At the meeting, some members of the monitoring delegation requested clarification of the effectiveness and shortcomings of the current organizational structure and staffing at the units; what is the current autonomy rate of regular expenditure sources of the units?

The members of the monitoring delegation also requested that units, based on science and practice, propose plans and directions for arranging and perfecting the organizational apparatus as well as resolving the number of redundant professional officials, administrative staff, and workers when merging units into one...

Ms. Cao Thi Hien - Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial People's Council chaired the meeting. Photo: Minh Chi

Concluding the meeting, Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial People's Council Cao Thi Hien acknowledged the seriousness in the work of arranging the organizational structure and staffing and labor to ensure streamlined and effective operations. In addition, the Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial People's Council said that due to regulations, in practice there are still overlapping functions and tasks between units performing preventive medicine tasks. The arrangement of leaders in specialized departments is not appropriate.

Sharing the concerns of the units, Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial People's Council Cao Thi Hien also affirmed that the merger is a common policy of the Central Government and in practice, the merger will bring many common benefits, such as reducing administrative focal points and human resources, saving on facilities, improving the efficiency of performing professional tasks; therefore, she hopes that the units will propagate and disseminate to cadres, civil servants and employees to create high consensus for implementation.

Based on some of the shortcomings that are being raised, in the coming time, the Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council also said that the Standing Committee of the Provincial People's Council will review the attraction policies, along with researching a plan to attract quality doctors to work at the center.