Draft Support Policy for Healthcare Workers Discussed in Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City is considering a special policy draft that envisions additional support of up to 30 million VND per month for healthcare personnel assigned on rotation to primary healthcare facilities, in order to resolve the shortage of thousands of doctors across 168 health stations.

Doctor Shortage and Current Situation

The 168 health stations across Ho Chi Minh City face a shortage of over 1,000 doctors. Serving a population of approximately 14.5 million people, these stations currently have only 1,415 doctors in place.

People's Council Session and Draft

The Ho Chi Minh City People's Council reviewed the draft resolution supporting individuals sent on rotational assignments to public primary healthcare facilities and ward and district health stations within the city.

Implementation Schedule and Objectives

The special support policy is expected to be implemented from October 1, 2026, until the end of 2030, with local authorities aiming to assign at least 1,000 doctors to the municipal level each year.

Support Levels by Title

Classified by academic title, degree, and qualification, the additional monthly allowances are set at 20 million VND for professors, associate professors, and PhD holders, 17 million VND for assistants and specialists, and 12 million VND for other doctors.

Payments for Other Healthcare Personnel

Nurses, midwives, healthcare technicians, and pharmacists with university degrees will receive 10 million VND, while college graduates will receive 8 million VND per person per month in support.

Coefficients for Disadvantaged Regions

Personnel assigned to the Thanh An island commune will receive 1.2 times the respective support level, while those assigned to the Con Dao special zone will receive 1.5 times, reaching the highest level of 30 million VND.

Eligibility and Service Conditions

Benefiting from the support requires a rotational assignment decision from the Ministry of Health, a minimum of two months of continuous service, and confirmation of task completion.

Budget and Fund Calculations

The estimated total funding for the support is calculated at approximately 98.46 billion VND per year, which could exceed 108.3 billion VND when including emergency plans for island regions.