But if no proposal is made, and things remain as they are, the current allowance level (in effect since 2011), after numerous increases in the base salary and annual inflation, has become unbelievable.
Looking at the table, the allowance for special surgeries for the chief surgeon and chief anesthesiologist/anesthesiologist is only 280,000 VND, for type 1 surgeries this allowance is reduced to 125,000 VND, and for type 3 the allowance is only 50,000 VND.
Regarding on-call allowances, the 24/7 on-call allowance at Grade 1 and Special Grade hospitals is 115,000 VND, while at Grade 2 hospitals this is reduced to 90,000 VND. At other hospitals, the allowance is 60,000 VND per night on-call, and at commune health stations it is reduced to 25,000 VND.
A doctor at a central hospital in Hanoi shared that all the female doctors in his department have left to work at private hospitals, leaving only male doctors because the hospital operates on a 4/1 shift, meaning one night shift every four days. These night shifts are for emergency cases, keeping them busy all night and exhausted until the next day, while the allowance is only 115,000 VND.
Many people find this allowance unreasonable, but it has remained unchanged for 13 years. Now that the base salary has increased, and doctors and nurses have received a slight raise, there's good news: the on-call allowance is also about to increase.
However, for hospitals that are already financially self-sufficient, the question of where to find the money to pay for this increase is proving very difficult. From July 1st, the basic salary increased by 30%, but hospital fees remained the same. One hospital with 4,000 doctors and nurses reported having to spend an additional 12 billion VND in July alone on salary increases. Another 12 billion VND was spent in August, and so on, while revenue remained unchanged.
What is the quality of healthcare services in Vietnam like? Everyone agrees that hospitals are overcrowded, there are too few nurses, and while doctors are experienced, many patients have to share beds, and examinations require long queues.
To resolve this issue satisfactorily, income reform and support for public hospitals in initial investment are necessary. Therefore, the proposal to increase allowances for doctors is receiving attention, but when will it be increased and where will the money come from?
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/bac-si-truc-115-000-dong-ca-va-nhung-vuong-mac-kho-giai-20240807103001314.htm
