Improving the capacity of commune health workers

(Baonghean) - To improve the capacity of the staff of commune health stations, Nghe An health sector has been implementing many synchronous solutions such as: Implementing Project 1816, recruiting and training on-site staff, gradually meeting the initial medical examination and treatment needs of the people, however, there are still certain limitations...

In recent times, the Nghe An Health sector has implemented many solutions to improve the capacity and professional qualifications of medical staff at commune health stations. Implementing Project 1816 of the Ministry of Health and Decision 92 of the Provincial People's Committee on rotating staff from higher levels to support lower levels, in the past 5 years, the Health sector has sent nearly 500 doctors to work at 153 health stations. This rotation contributes to improving the quality of medical examination and treatment for lower-level medical staff through transferring and training professional skills and updating knowledge.

Nutritional counseling for mothers with young children at the commune health station (Quy Chau).

Along with the rotation, Nghe An has sent selected students to train as doctors and sent medical doctors to train as specialized doctors. Currently, the whole province has 200 doctors from commune health stations studying at medical universities across the country. Along with training medical staff, in the past 5 years, Nghe An has recruited over 400 doctors, university and postgraduate pharmacists, bringing the total number of doctors in the province to 1,565 people, 77 pharmacists. In addition, Nghe An's health sector also attaches importance to training through training courses. At this time, the sector is coordinating with Vinh Medical University to open a class to improve the capacity of commune health station staff. 190 students from commune health stations study specialized classes in pharmacy, obstetrics, and traditional medicine.

Up to now, 480/480 commune-level health stations have medical staff, 88% of communes have doctors, 100% of health stations have secondary school midwives and obstetricians and pediatricians. In 2015, with the number of doctors being sent for training and the actual number of doctors in the commune being 287, 100% of commune-level health stations in the plains and 90% in the mountains have doctors.

Distribute leaflets to promote the benefits of breastfeeding to the people.

Along with human resource solutions, in the period of 2011-2015, the province focused on investing in medical facilities and equipment: The average annual budget expenditure for the health sector accounts for about 6.5% of the total general budget expenditure. Nghe An uses various budget sources such as government bonds, national target programs, program 30a, provincial budget, ODA, and socialization to invest in health. Construction of health infrastructure in 2014 increased 8.5 times compared to 2005; 198 new health stations were built, with a total investment of 338.4 billion VND. Up to now, 100% of communes have health stations. Regarding health station equipment, each year, the provincial and central budgets invest an average of 50-70 billion VND, self-financed capital 40-50 billion VND, and target programs 15-20 billion VND. At this time, Nghe An has 63.5% of communes, wards and towns meeting the standards to meet the initial medical examination and treatment needs of the people.

Nam Trung Commune Health Station, Nam Dan District is a trusted medical examination and treatment address not only for the people of the commune but also for the people of Nam Nam region. People of Nam Trung, Nam Cuong, Khanh Son, Nam Phuc communes choose this as their initial medical examination and treatment address because Nam Trung Health Station has an ultrasound machine, full equipment, highly qualified doctors, proficient in using machines, and enthusiastic service. In 2014 alone, at Nam Trung Commune Health Station, there were nearly 300 cases of "safe mother and safe child", more than 10,000 people came for examination and treatment. The above mentioned figures are a testament to the trust in the capacity of the staff of the commune health station. Doctor Ho Xuan Hung, Head of Nam Trung Commune Health Station, shared: “The station’s medical staff must promote their professional capacity, responsibility and dedication to patients. To meet the medical examination and treatment needs of the people, doctors and nurses must constantly study and improve their qualifications to respond to the treatment of increasingly complex disease models.”

On a provincial scale, there are quite a few commune health stations with qualified and competent medical staff. A typical example is Khanh Son Commune Health Station, Nam Dan District, which examines and treats about 9,000 people each year, 73% of the commune's population participates in health insurance. People trust the station because it has a team of qualified and complete staff with 1 doctor, 1 oriental medicine practitioner, 1 nurse, 1 obstetrician, 2 general practitioners, and 1 pharmacist. That is Ngoc Son Commune Health Station, Thanh Chuong District - each year examines and treats more than 12,000 people, of which more than 500 are inpatients. Pregnant women in the commune are examined according to regulations 3 times or more, 100% of mothers give birth at medical facilities and no obstetric complications occur; Nghia Tien Commune Health Station, Thai Hoa Town treats nearly 5,000 people each year...

However, in many localities, there is still a shortage of medical examination and treatment equipment at health stations; the capacity of staff at the stations is still limited. Mr. Luong Van Bang, Head of the Thong Thu Commune Health Station, Que Phong District, said: Thong Thu is a border commune with 13 villages, of which 99.9% are Thai ethnic people. Although the station has 7 staff and 13 village nurses, due to limited on-site capacity, in 2013, many patients had to be transferred to higher levels.

Even the Dien Van Commune Health Station, Dien Chau - the first commune to meet the national criteria for health, awarded the title of Heroic Labor Unit in the renovation period by the State, is having to hire 4 more technicians to operate the machines. Improving the capacity of commune health station staff requires a continuous process. Dr. Bui Dinh Long, Director of Nghe An Department of Health, said: The sector continues to increase doctors for places lacking them; focuses on training, especially sending doctors to train in the inter-disciplinary and specialized training programs at schools; strives to arrange enough doctors at health stations by 2017, and by 2020 to ensure a ratio of 8.5 doctors/10,000 people, equal to the national average. The health sector focuses on improving capacity by constantly rotating and transferring staff and high-quality medical examination and treatment techniques. Some specific areas rotate doctors to work both at the station and at the hospital so that they can both study and improve their qualifications; Focus on updating and improving knowledge, political awareness and foreign language skills for more than 3,000 commune-level health workers.

Improving the capacity of medical staff at health stations is not the sole responsibility of the health sector but depends on strengthening the leadership and direction of government agencies at all levels, the participation of organizations as well as social activities. Doctors and medical staff cannot have high professional qualifications when health stations lack necessary equipment; cannot study and improve their professional skills if there are no incentive and motivation mechanisms; doctors and medical staff do not have the motivation to improve their capacity if there is no favorable working environment, promotion opportunities, etc.

Thanh Son