Voters of Ky Son district propose to add more doctors and nurses in the area

Reply:

-Regarding financial support content:

Annually, based on Resolution 21/2021/NQ-HDND dated December 9, 2021 of the People's Council of Nghe An province on promulgating regulations on principles, criteria and norms for allocating regular expenditure estimates of local budgets in 2022, stable until 2025 in Nghe An province.Based on the regular expenditure estimates prepared by the People's Committee of Ky Son district, the Department of Finance synthesizes; the Provincial People's Committee submits to the Provincial People's Council for decision on the regular expenditure estimates according to regulations.

The regular operating expenses of the Na Loi, Nam Can, My Ly Commune Health Stations and Muong Xen Town are assigned by the People's Committee of Ky Son District to the Ky Son District Health Center for management, payment and settlement.

Giving 300 children antibiotics to prevent diphtheria in Huu Lap commune (Ky Son). Photo: Thanh Chung

The annual budget of health stations in mountainous communes is regulated at 145 million VND/staff/year (including: Salary; salary contributions; other expenses outside the salary fund to perform tasks such as: expenses for purchasing, minor repairs of assets, expenses for caring for the elderly, expenses for renting technology software, expenses for maintaining the operation of treatment facilities and Methadone distribution points).

The maximum rate of salary, allowances and contributions is 85%. If it exceeds 85%, it will be compensated for with other expenses.

Therefore, the annual regular expenditure budget has been balanced sufficiently for medical stations in accordance with the current regulations on norms in Resolution No. 21 mentioned above.

-Regarding support for medical equipment, machinery and supplies:

In 2018, the survey was conducted to propose new construction, renovation and investment in equipment under the Investment Program for Developing the Primary Health Care Network in Difficult Areas using ADB's ODA capital. Ky Son Medical Center proposed and was prioritized by the Department of Health to submit to the Ministry of Health for approval to build 3 new commune health stations: Muong Long, Dooc May and Bao Thang; repair 2 communes: Na Loi and Muong Ai. At the same time, it proposed to invest in equipment for all 5 communes above. The above communes will be implemented when the central government provides capital.

Currently, the Department of Health has requested units to review the need for equipment and machinery to invest from the source of the Socio-Economic Recovery and Development Program in the health sector.

However, as a result of the review, Ky Son Medical Center did not propose equipment for commune health stations. Communes are requested to review the need for equipment, machinery, and medical supplies and send them to Ky Son Medical Center for proposal to the Department of Health.

The purchase of medical supplies used in medical facilities is carried out based on health insurance funds. The purchased medical supplies basically meet the needs of medical examination, treatment, and health care for the people and are paid for by the health insurance fund in accordance with regulations.

- Regarding the content of adding more doctors and nurses to serve the work of taking care of people's health:

In order to increase the number of medical staff serving the medical examination and treatment of the people in recent years, the Provincial People's Committee has directed the Health sector to implement many important solutions. These include strengthening the work of attracting, recruiting, and training from local sources and increasing the rotation from the District Health Center to the commune, ward, and town levels. In 2021, the Health sector actively encouraged, attracted, and recruited 2 doctors to work at the Commune Health Stations in Ky Son district.

Send doctors to reinforce from the provincial level to the district level, from the district level to the commune level, especially communes without doctors. In 2021, 154 doctors were sent to reinforce communes without doctors, of which, Ky Son district sent 6 doctors to reinforce 3 communes without doctors.

Doctors and nurses from Nghe An Trauma and Orthopedics Hospital provide free medicine and advice on how to care for and ensure health for people in Binh Son 2 village, Ta Ca commune, Ky Son district. Photo courtesy of PV

The Provincial People's Committee also issued Decision No. 01/2015/QD-UBND dated January 6, 2015 on promulgating regulations on a number of specific policies to support the development of public health human resources in Nghe An province with many policies to support training and attract human resources for the development of mountainous areas, creating favorable conditions and reducing initial difficulties for doctors and pharmacists. Developing medical human resources in both quantity and quality, contributing to improving the quality of medical examination and treatment for the people of the province in general and mountainous districts in particular.

After 6 years of implementation, 237 doctors and pharmacists have been attracted, of which 18 are from Ky Son district.

The Military-Civilian Medical Station in Huoi Bac village (My Ly commune) is a trusted medical examination and treatment address for the people. Photo: Hai Thuong

However, recruiting doctors to work at health stations in recent years has been very difficult, especially in remote areas. The health sector has been implementing many solutions to increase human resources for the grassroots health system, with a special focus on medical staff.

The sector allocates many staffing targets to recruit doctors, strengthens the training of doctors from local medical staff, and increases the number of doctors working at the district level to work at the commune level. By 2025, the province strives to achieve a rate of over 90%, of which, Ky Son district will have over 80% of commune health stations with doctors working.