Overcoming the shortage of primary care doctors

(Baonghean) -Currently, Nghe An has nearly 40% of communes, wards and towns without doctors. It is estimated that from now until 2020, the health sector will need to recruit 1,500 more doctors. To overcome this situation and increase the number of doctors at the grassroots level, the province is focusing on training local human resources.

In the mountainous district of Quy Chau, for the past 10 years, there has not been a single regular doctor working (except for one doctor recruited by the Provincial People's Committee). The long-term shortage of doctors has caused difficulties in meeting the needs of medical examination, treatment and health care for the people. Mr. Nguyen Van Hanh - Director of Quy Chau Medical Center said: The reasons leading to the above situation are not only the reasons that the remote area is difficult to travel to, the equipment is still rudimentary, so doctors do not dare to return because they will not be able to promote their professional expertise, do not have the conditions to study to improve their qualifications; at the same time, the salary and allowance regime for doctors working in communes, towns and districts is much lower than that of doctors working in other large hospitals and the salary and incentives are often delayed. The district has announced many times but no one has submitted their applications, even many doctors and nurses working at the district hospital have the idea of ​​transferring to other more convenient places.

Survey data from the health sector shows that the rate of doctors working in communes is currently only about 65%. According to calculations, by 2015, the public health sector in the province still lacks over 520 doctors and over 230 university pharmacists. By 2020, with the target of 9 doctors/10,000 people and 1.4 university pharmacists/10,000 people, Nghe An needs over 3,000 doctors and over 400 university pharmacists. Thus, by 2020, the province needs an additional 1,500 doctors.

In order to attract high-quality human resources for the health sector, in recent times, the province has had many measures such as the decision to support those who commit to working in the locality for 3 years or more to receive an initial funding such as: Professor: 40 million VND; Associate Professor, PhD: 30 million VND; Master, Doctor: 20 million VND; Excellent graduates: 15 million VND, Good graduates: 10 million VND... However, these measures have not really achieved the desired results. Recognizing the above situation, in the past 3 years, the province has issued preferential policies to encourage local medical staff to continue their university education. The health sector supports all tuition fees for medical staff at commune, ward and town health stations of districts and towns when they study for a doctor's degree to serve in the locality, and at the same time, they are entitled to 1.2 times the minimum salary. In 2011, the health sector sent 150 staff to study to become specialist doctors and pharmacists. Mr. Pham Van Thanh - Director of the Department of Health said: In 2012, the sector continued to train 100 to 150 doctors. The training period is 4 years for specialist doctors, 6 years for regular doctors. With the training from local human resources, Nghe An will certainly have enough doctors for all districts by 2020.

Currently, the provincial health sector is collaborating with medical and pharmaceutical universities and the 108 Military Hospital to train commune doctors in the form of recruitment and training by location, while at the same time having preferential policies, incentives, and financial support for doctors working at the commune level to study to become doctors, then return to work at the commune level. With this solution, the problem of doctor shortage at the grassroots level has initially been solved. Returning to Quy Chau district, up to now, 10/12 commune and town health stations of the district have doctors; the district health center also has 3 doctors and 1 bachelor, the district is sending 8 doctors to study to become doctors at medical universities. The district strives to ensure that by 2015, 100% of communes have enough doctors. However, in order to "retain" doctors and make the medical team feel secure in their work and dedicated to patients, it is necessary to further improve the regime and support policies for doctors in remote areas; increase the regime for those who are working and going to advanced training; focus on investing in facilities and medical equipment with socialized resources and contributions from organizations and individuals.

Thanh Chung