Sharing with medical staff who do not have Tet bonuses
(Baonghean.vn) - This Tet, the staff and workers of Nghe An Dermatology Hospital are still owed salaries and have not received Tet bonuses. The Department of Health and the Nghe An Health Sector Trade Union have shared and encouraged these medical staff.
Salary arrears, no Tet bonus
In 2023, Nghe An Dermatology Hospital has not yet implemented the signing of contracts for medical examination and treatment under Health Insurance and organized inpatient treatment. The hospital only performs outpatient examination and treatment. The total number of patients coming for examination and treatment is lower than the planned target (40,000 patients). The hospital's revenue from hospital fees does not ensure expenditure, leading to a prolonged delay in paying salaries to civil servants and employees. By the end of 2023, Nghe An Dermatology Hospital will only pay salaries to civil servants and employees until August 2023.

Faced with this situation, on January 29, 2024, the Chairman of the Nghe An Dermatology Hospital Trade Union sent a document requesting the Director of Nghe An Dermatology Hospital to answer 3 questions, including: "When will hospital staff receive their September 2023 salary? Will hospital staff receive any bonuses for the 2024 Lunar New Year? The situation of prolonged salary arrears, has the director, is having, and will have any practical actions or actions to improve this situation?".
In a discussion with the Chairman of the Trade Union of Nghe An Dermatology Hospital and hospital officials, Mr. Huynh Phuc Son - Director of Nghe An Dermatology Hospital said: Nghe An Dermatology Hospital was established on September 23, 2019 under Decision No. 3731/QD-UBND; is a group 2 autonomous unit (autonomous in regular expenditure) under Decision No. 1674/QD-UBND dated June 1, 2020 of the People's Committee of Nghe An province. This means that the State does not provide resources for the Hospital to make regular payments, including salaries.
The payment of salaries to civil servants depends entirely on the hospital's revenue after deducting expenses for purchasing chemicals, biological products, medical consumables... for medical examination and treatment. The remaining amount will be used for salary payment and other funds according to regulations. However, the hospital's current revenue is not enough to pay monthly salaries to civil servants.
To pay salaries to employees, the Hospital has sent an official dispatch to the Nghe An Department of Health to submit to competent authorities for permission for Nghe An Dermatology Hospital to borrow 273 million VND from the unit's Career Development Fund. The Nghe An Department of Health has also sent an official dispatch to the Nghe An Department of Finance, but so far there has been no official dispatch in response to the Hospital. The Hospital Director is currently unable to answer when hospital employees will receive their September 2023 salary... Based on the fact that the Hospital's revenue and existing funds at the Hospital are over 275 million VND (Reward Fund, Career Development Fund, Income Stabilization Fund), hospital employees will not receive a Tet bonus.
According to Mr. Huynh Phuc Son: In order to pay salaries and additional income (if any) for employees and workers, the Hospital needs to have a source of revenue. The Hospital's revenue includes two main sources: hospital fees and pharmacy revenue... Hospital fees come from the development of technical services. However, at this time, the Hospital has only been able to perform 30% of approved technical services. The reason is that the Hospital is lacking equipment and does not have the funds to purchase equipment.
In addition, because the university pharmacist with a practicing certificate qualified to open a pharmacy at Nghe An Dermatology Hospital has quit his job, the current Pharmacy Department staff of the Hospital cannot meet the regulations in Circular No. 22 dated November 22, 2011 of the Ministry of Health and in Point 1, Article 6 of Circular 15/2011/TT-BYT dated April 19, 2011 regulating the professional activities of drug retail establishments. Therefore, Nghe An Dermatology Hospital cannot reopen the pharmacy, leading to no revenue from the pharmacy.
Mr. Huynh Phuc Son also said: The problems of the Hospital are very difficult to solve due to many current regulations. The Hospital needs a special mechanism, as well as early intervention of the trade union. In the immediate future, at the Hospital, the director will coordinate with the trade union and the people's inspectorate to tighten discipline and working time discipline to improve the efficiency of current work; direct the professional department to increase professional meetings to improve diagnostic and treatment capacity so that when there is equipment and human resources, they can make a breakthrough together.
Obviously, the answers of the Hospital Director cannot satisfy the hospital staff and workers in the context of the approaching Lunar New Year.
Leave no one behind
Faced with difficulties, Nghe An Dermatology Hospital has reported the current situation to Nghe An Department of Health for guidance. The Department of Health has organized many working sessions and established a support team to remove difficulties for the Hospital and assigned a Deputy Director of the Department to direct the support. At this time, the support work for Nghe An Dermatology Hospital is being carried out by Nghe An Department of Health in the direction of supplementing human resources and machinery; reviewing to develop a number of departments, completing a number of technical lists for health insurance examination and treatment; attracting patients; gradually stabilizing jobs and income for civil servants and workers.

In 2024, Nghe An Department of Health will strive to support Nghe An Dermatology Hospital to carry out synchronous medical examination and treatment activities commensurate with the functions and tasks of a provincial specialized hospital. In particular, organizing inpatient treatment activities with 20 beds; organizing the signing of health insurance medical examination and treatment contracts for people with health insurance cards and referral letters; organizing hospital pharmacy activities in accordance with the provisions of law.
Promoting the spirit of mutual love and support for officials and employees at Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, recently, the leaders of the Department of Health and the Health Trade Union had a meeting to listen to the thoughts and aspirations of union members and employees at Nghe An Dermatology Hospital. At this meeting, on behalf of the hospital's officials and employees, Dr. Le Thi Hiep - President of the Hospital's Trade Union reported on the employment situation, life, income of union members, officials, employees and recommendations to the Director of the Hospital, Nghe An Health Trade Union and Nghe An Department of Health.
The Director of Nghe An Dermatology Hospital, Chairman of Nghe An Health Sector Trade Union, and leaders of Nghe An Department of Health also gave additional answers and clarifications to partly resolve the ideological issues of union members and employees of the unit. Ms. Tran Thi Thu Ha - Chairman of Nghe An Health Sector Trade Union said: Sharing the difficulties with the unit, civil servants, and employees, the leaders of the Department of Health and the Health Sector Trade Union hope that the union members and employees of the Hospital will try to overcome the difficulties, unite, and work together with the unit to complete the task of maintaining the brand and developing the Hospital in the coming time. The Department of Health and the sector trade union also gave gifts to encourage the spirit and share some of the difficulties so that civil servants and employees can celebrate the New Year of the Dragon 2024 together and happily with their families.
Accordingly, with the spirit of "Tet Sum Vay - Spring Sharing", Nghe An Department of Health, the Health Sector Trade Union supported 33 gifts for 33 union members and employees of Nghe An Dermatology Hospital. Each gift is worth 1 million VND. In addition, with the request for support from Nghe An Health Sector Trade Union, VietinBank also supported 10 million VND for the hospital's staff and employees... With a total support amount of 43 million VND, each staff and employee was given 1.3 million VND. In addition, Dr. Nguyen Huu Le personally supported Nghe An Dermatology Hospital with 4 medical equipment, which are 4 endoscopy machines for the clinic.
Although the gift is small, it contains the affection and sharing of the leaders of the Department of Health and the health sector's trade union, helping the staff and workers of Nghe An Dermatology Hospital have more motivation to try to overcome difficulties and complete their tasks well in the coming time./.