Ensuring fair treatment and salary reform for health workers

Medical staff of Dien Phong Commune Health Station, Dien Chau District, Nghe An Province, measure body temperature of people during the Covid-19 epidemic in 2021

Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai signed document No. 734/TTg-KTTH in response to the question of National Assembly delegate Nguyen Minh Tam of the National Assembly Delegation of Quang Binh province at the 5th session of the 15th National Assembly, questioning the following content: "Decree No. 05/2023/ND-CP dated February 15, 2023 of the Government amending and supplementing a number of articles of Decree No. 56/2011/ND-CP dated July 4, 2011 of the Government, accordingly supplementing the preferential allowance level according to the profession for preventive medicine and grassroots health officials (for the period of 2 years 2022, 2023).

The provision of the above preferential allowance level has demonstrated the Government's concern and recognition for the medical sector in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the provision has not covered the scope and subjects for some staff working in testing, population officials... in the context of carrying out the same work of epidemic prevention and control and the time frame for receiving the allowance does not coincide with the time of participating in the fight against the epidemic, which has affected the mindset of a significant number of medical staff.

Voters believe that the regulation of beneficiaries as stated in the Decree is unfair. We request the Deputy Prime Minister to clearly explain the reasons for choosing the subjects regulated by the Decree."

Regarding the above issue, the Deputy Prime Minister replied: Civil servants and public employees in the health sector are currently receiving salaries as well as civil servants and public employees in other sectors according to the salary scale system issued in Decree No. 204/2004/ND-CP dated December 14, 2004 of the Government on salary regime for cadres, civil servants, public employees and armed forces and guiding documents, amendments and supplements, including testing staff, population officials... as stated by the National Assembly delegates.

In addition, civil servants and health officials are entitled to the following allowances:

Preferential allowances by profession: Decree No. 56/2011/ND-CP dated July 4, 2011 of the Government stipulates preferential allowances by profession for civil servants and public employees working at public health facilities, which stipulates: "Civil servants and public employees working at public health facilities regularly and directly performing specific prescribed jobs are entitled to preferential allowances by profession, including 6 levels of 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70% on the salary scale (professional title), current grade plus leadership position allowance, seniority allowance beyond the framework (if any)" and "Civil servants and public employees regularly and directly performing medical expertise to perform the following jobs: health education and communication; population-family planning are entitled to preferential allowances by profession of 30%.

Allowance regime for village and commune health workers: Decision No. 75/2009/QD-TTg dated May 11, 2009 stipulates that "During their working period, village and commune health workers are entitled to monthly allowances equal to 0.3 and 0.5 times the general minimum wage".

Special allowance regime: Decision No. 73/2011/QD-TTg dated December 28, 2011 of the Prime Minister on the regulation of a number of special allowance regimes for civil servants, public employees, and workers in public health facilities and anti-epidemic allowance regimes including: 24/24 hour on-call allowance regime; anti-epidemic allowance regime; surgery and procedure allowance regime.

Allowance regime for civil servants and public employees working in areas with particularly difficult socio-economic conditions: Decree No. 76/2019/ND-CP dated October 8, 2019 of the Government on policies for civil servants and public employees working in areas with particularly difficult socio-economic conditions stipulates that "Civil servants, public employees, and military medical officers working at medical facilities in areas with particularly difficult socio-economic conditions are entitled to preferential allowances of 70% of the current salary according to the current salary scale plus leadership position allowances and seniority allowances (if any)".

Hazardous and toxic allowance regime: Circular No. 07/2005/TT-BNV dated January 5, 2005 of the Ministry of Home Affairs stipulates that "Civil servants and public employees in the health sector are entitled to hazardous and toxic allowance regimes at 4 levels including coefficients of 0.1; 0.2; 0.3; 0.4 compared to the general minimum wage." Hazardous allowance regime for civil servants and public employees is very necessary to compensate for the loss of those working in hazardous, dangerous, infectious environments... which are factors that salaries do not take into account.

Allowance regime for village and commune health workers: Decision No. 75/2009/QD-TTg dated May 11, 2009 stipulates that "During their working period, village and commune health workers are entitled to monthly allowances equal to 0.3 and 0.5 times the general minimum wage".

Decree No. 33/2023/ND-CP dated June 10, 2023 on commune-level cadres, civil servants and non-professional workers at commune, village and residential group levels, effective from August 1, 2023, stipulates that people directly participating in activities in villages and residential groups, in addition to the three positions of Party cell secretary, village or residential group head, and head of the Front work committee, are entitled to monthly support. The Prime Minister has assigned the Ministry of Health to propose solutions to implement policies for village health workers and village midwives to ensure compliance with Decree No. 33/2023/ND-CP.

The Deputy Prime Minister stated that during the Covid-19 pandemic, in order to promptly motivate all subjects participating in epidemic prevention, including health education and communication officials, population-family planning officials, and testing staff, the Government has stipulated the anti-epidemic allowance regime in a number of documents as follows:

Resolution No. 37/NQ-CP dated March 29, 2020 on some special regimes in the prevention and control of Covid-19 epidemic (implemented from March 29, 2020 to February 8, 2021) stipulates the anti-epidemic allowance regime for medical staff and workers participating in epidemic prevention and control: VND 300,000/person/day for those who monitor, investigate, verify epidemics, and those who directly examine, diagnose, and treat people with epidemics at medical examination and treatment facilities.

200,000 VND/person/day for people transporting patients and medical specimens; preserving corpses of patients; washing medical and patient clothes and linen; collecting bottles, jars, and chemical boxes; protecting the isolation treatment area; cleaning, disinfecting, and destroying pathogens in the isolation area at medical examination and treatment facilities; medical staff conducting epidemiological surveillance and medical monitoring at home isolation facilities and medical isolation facilities as designated by the State management agency.

150,000 VND/person/day for people performing tasks (not medical professionals) at centralized quarantine facilities; people participating in forced medical quarantine; interpreters, 115 emergency team, and teams transporting quarantined people.

Resolution No. 16/NQ-CP dated February 8, 2021 on medical isolation costs, medical examination and treatment, and some special regimes in the prevention and control of the Covid-19 epidemic, implemented from February 8, 2021, stipulates the levels of anti-epidemic allowances at 3 levels: VND 300,000/person/day, VND 200,000/person/day, VND 150,000/person/day corresponding to the subjects participating in epidemic prevention and control work at different levels of work.

Resolution No. 58/NQ-CP dated June 8, 2021 stipulates the anti-epidemic regime for volunteers, students and pupils at 120,000 VND/person/day; the allowance for free Covid-19 vaccination is 7,500 VND/injection/vaccination team.

Resolution No. 145/NQ-CP dated November 19, 2021 on adjusting, amending and supplementing a number of regimes and policies in epidemic prevention and controlCovid-19Adjusting the regime for people participating in epidemic prevention and controlCovid-19in units and localities with a large number of infectionsCovid-19High levels of 450,000 VND/person/day, 300,000 VND/person/day, 225,000 VND/person/day, 150,000 VND/person/day depending on the actual number of days participating in the fight against the epidemic according to the decision of the competent authority.

Thus, population-family planning officers and testing staff who are subject to the above regulations are entitled to the prescribed allowances.

COVID-19 vaccination for students at Minh Khai Ward Medical Station (Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi)

Regarding the process of drafting Decree No. 05/2023/ND-CP, the Deputy Prime Minister said that after 2 years of epidemic prevention and control,Covid-19, the epidemic situation is basically under control nationwide. To contribute to retaining and ensuring regular medical human resources, directly performing preventive medical work to meet the needs of disease prevention, the Politburo issued Conclusion No. 25-KL/TW dated December 30, 2021 on epidemic prevention and control work.Covid-19period 2022-2023, in which it agreed to adjust the preferential allowance regime for preventive medicine and grassroots health workers from 40-70% to 100%.

This is the basis for the Government to issue Decree No. 05/2023/ND-CP, which stipulates preferential allowances according to profession for preventive medicine and grassroots health officials, applicable from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2023; beneficiaries are regular officials directly working in preventive medicine (including border health quarantine); working in medical profession at commune, ward, town health stations, regional polyclinics, maternity homes, district, town, provincial city, city health centers and hospitals at district, town, provincial city, city level have been and are enjoying preferential allowances according to their profession at the rate of 40-70% as prescribed in Decree No. 56/2011/ND-CP and Joint Circular No. 02/2012/TTLT-BYT-BNV-BTC dated January 19, 2012 of the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Finance guiding the implementation of Decree No. 56/2011/ND-CP.

Population and family planning officials are currently enjoying a 30% preferential allowance according to their profession, so they are not subject to the provisions of Conclusion No. 25-KL/TW dated December 30, 2021 of the Politburo, so there is no basis to include them in the subjects of Decree No. 05/2023/ND-CP.

The Deputy Prime Minister affirmed that primary health care and preventive medicine play a particularly important role in the health system, but are the most difficult units in the health sector, so in the coming time, there should be appropriate policies to attract and maintain medical staff with professional qualifications to regularly and continuously work in this field.

Resolution No. 99/2023/QH15 of the National Assembly on thematic supervision of the mobilization, management and use of resources for epidemic prevention and controlCovid-19, the implementation of legal policies on primary health care and preventive medicine stipulates tasks and solutions: "Research to ensure adequate salaries, allowances, and remuneration for health workers in general, primary health care and preventive medicine in particular, commensurate with the requirements of tasks and specific work in the spirit of Resolution No. 27-NQ/TW dated May 21, 2018 of the Central Executive Committee on reforming salary policies for cadres, civil servants, public employees, armed forces and employees in enterprises. Encourage localities to have policies to attract health workers to work in primary health care and in the field of preventive medicine".

The Prime Minister has assigned the Ministry of Health to preside over and coordinate with relevant ministries, branches, agencies and localities to urgently develop a plan to implement the tasks assigned by the National Assembly in the above Resolution (Document No. 5491/VPCP-KGVX dated July 20, 2023 of the Government Office).

On that basis, the Government and the Prime Minister will consider appropriate and satisfactory salary, allowance and treatment regimes for cadres, civil servants, health officials (including population and family planning officials), and medical staff in accordance with the spirit of Resolution No. 99/2023/QH15 of the National Assembly.

According to Vietnam+