Young doctor decides to 'return to hometown' but is full of worries when salary is only over 3 million VND

Having just graduated from Hanoi Medical University, young doctor Giang A Chinh (24 years old, Tram Tau district, Yen Bai province) decided to refuse a job at a private hospital in Hanoi, and asked to return to the district hospital because "this place needs me more".

Young doctor volunteers to work at Muong Khuong District General Hospital ( Lao Cai ) - Illustration photo: HA THANH

Decided to return to "home" but still worried

Born and raised in a highland village in Tram Tau district, Yen Bai province, six years ago Giang A Chinh became the pride of the village because he passed the entrance exam to Hanoi Medical University. To raise the village's "doctor", Chinh's parents had to sell their garden and borrow money from many places before Chinh graduated.

In early August, Chinh received his degree in general medicine from Hanoi Medical University. Although in Hanoi, Chinh also had the opportunity to approach some private hospitals and was promised a starting salary of more than 10 million VND.

However, Chinh applied to work at his hometown district hospital because he thought his hometown needed him more. Chinh shared that he had "inquired" with his colleagues at the hospital and was told that the starting salary for the contract would be around 3 million.

The locality also has a policy for young doctors who graduate with honors, receiving a one-time support of 100 million VND/person. However, Chinh did not meet this criterion. According to Chinh, in his class of more than 120 people at the school, less than 10% graduated with honors.

Although he asked to return to the local hospital, Chinh still worried about his future. Chinh confessed that he sometimes felt discouraged when looking at his future path.

"Honestly, now that I've started, I have to keep going. I can't just give up after 6 years of studying. If the locality has more policies to attract young doctors and nurses, no one will not want to stay. Many seniors who went before me have to leave again because the salary is not enough to live on," Chinh shared.

Young doctor Giang A Chinh is determined to return to the district hospital with the desire to contribute to his hometown - Photo: NAM TRAN

When asked if there was a preferential treatment to work at the medical station, would the young doctor be willing? Chinh frankly admitted that at the present time he would not return to the facility.

"Young doctors need to develop themselves after graduation, while the current medical station specializes in management, initial treatment, and referral. Therefore, it is difficult for me, a new graduate, to gain treatment experience.

However, I also think that this depends on each person's orientation. If there is a good attraction policy, there will likely be many good doctors willing to come. That way, the facility will also be able to manage patients well from the beginning, helping both patients and reducing the pressure on the upper level," Chinh commented.

The young doctor came and went again.

In the northern mountainous provinces, many provinces have policies to attract high-quality human resources and provide preferential treatment for doctors when they return to work at public hospitals. For example, in Lai Chau and Lao Cai provinces, high-quality human resources returning to their localities will receive one-time support from the policy with support levels ranging from 50 million to 400 million VND for each training major.

However, the regulations on attracting high-quality human resources also have many conditions, such as excellent graduates, resident doctors , and professors. Besides the one-time support policy, most of them do not have any other policies.

There are also many localities that have almost no policies due to difficult local economic conditions.

Having worked at Dien Bien Provincial General Hospital for 20 years, Dr. Mai Thi Tam, head of the hospital's pediatrics department, has witnessed many generations of young doctors coming to work at the hospital and then having to leave.

"Every year we recruit, every year there are doctors who ask to transfer jobs just because the salary is too low. I myself have worked for 20 years, with all the allowances, my monthly income is 15-17 million VND. As for young doctors, their monthly income is 5-7 million VND, at most 10 million VND, when it is not enough to meet the living expenses, they are forced to leave," Dr. Tam confided.

Dr. Tam shared that the locality currently has no policy to attract doctors to work in the area. Therefore, although many doctors want to return to their hometown, they have to leave their families behind to go to Hanoi.

"There are doctors working here whose monthly salary is less than 10 million, but when they go to a private hospital in Hanoi, their salary is already several tens of millions. Or my friend's monthly salary is now 40-50 million after many years of working. I'm not saying it's unfair because everyone has the right to choose, but to attract and retain doctors, there needs to be a good treatment regime ," said Dr. Tam.

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