Personal structure at public health care settings: from policies to implementation

Abstract

     Law No.58/2010/QH12 on Public Employees issued by Congress in 2010 has been a milestone in the renewal of the human resource management in the public service units (PSUs) nationwide. The health sector with the mission of caring for people’s health is under the applicable scope of this new policy. Besides, which legislation also governs the structure of human resources in the health facilities (HFs)? Are there contradictions and discrepancies between the written documents and in their implementation processes? There were questions of interested; and on the finding basis, the research suggested appropriate policy proposals. The research team conducted a review and analysis of relevant legal documents and held 8 meetings with representatives of the leaders of public health service units (PHSUs) in 8 provinces to gather information to answer the research questions. Research findings show that, at present, besides Law on Public Employees, the decrees and circulars of the Government and the Ministry of Internal Affairs which are being deployed in the PHSUs, structure and the recruitment and usage of health workforce are also regulated by other documents such as Joint Circular No.08/2007/TTLT-BYT-BNV stipulated staffing norms in the HFs, Circular 41/2011/TT-BYT on certificates of clinical practice, Decision 816/QD-BYT issued in 2012 on Health workforce development plan period of 2012-2020... Some gaps between documents disclosed in the course of implementation which highlighted the limitations of the Circular 08 compared with oriental development of health workforce and PHSUs recent years; gaps in the medical recruitment as stipulated in Decree 41 and Decree 29 of the Government as well as the difficulties in the process of implementing the Circular 41 on providing practicing certificates for in-service health workers and medical graduates due to lack of the synchronized guidance to implement. The adjustment and promulgation of a new Circular replaces Joint Circular 08 is essential. Besides, there should be the guidance on implementation of Circular 41/2011/TT-BYT in a synchronized and specific way, especially for practicing certificate, so this policy can be implemented effectively, contributing to improving the quality of human resource for health care.