Proposal for nursing bachelors and highly skilled medical technicians to be ranked at level 2 salary

National Assembly delegate Pham Thi Kieu suggested paying attention to the issue of salary and allowances to retain grassroots medical staff. Photo: Quochoi.vn

On the morning of December 2, the National Assembly discussed the draft Resolution on a number of breakthrough mechanisms and policies in protecting, caring for and improving people's health .

Delegate Pham Thi Kieu ( Lam Dong delegation) is concerned about the issue of salaries and allowances for health workers (Article 3).

Allowing doctors, preventive medicine doctors, and pharmacists to be ranked at level 2 of their professional title when recruiting is completely appropriate, timely, and has a direct effect in attracting and retaining high-quality human resources.

For the policy to be fully effective, delegates suggested that the drafting committee consider expanding the beneficiaries of this policy to nursing bachelors with advanced professional qualifications and highly skilled medical technicians in specific technical fields such as diagnostic imaging and testing, positions that are in serious shortage and play an essential role in modern medical examination and treatment activities.

Delegates also highly appreciated the orientation of implementing free hospital fees at the basic level within the scope of health insurance benefits until 2030. This is a historic step, contributing to reducing the direct cost burden on people and strengthening social security.

However, for the policy to be feasible and sustainable, delegates suggested that the drafting committee should clearly define and quantify the concept of "basic level of hospital fee exemption" and more clearly stipulate the scope, roadmap and operating mechanism in the direction of: Building a set of scientific and transparent criteria, accompanied by a full assessment of scenarios for balancing the health insurance fund and the State budget.

Delegates noted that when increasing benefits for policy beneficiaries and low-income people, careful calculations are needed to avoid putting too much pressure on the fund, ensuring policies but not sacrificing the financial sustainability of the health system.

National Assembly Delegate Ha Sy Huan speaks. Photo: Quochoi.vn

Regarding the exemption of hospital fees, delegate Ha Sy Huan (Thai Nguyen delegation) also suggested that the drafting agency add regulations on specific priority groups, for example, the elderly, workers in toxic environments or workers in difficult areas so that localities can proactively allocate resources for implementation and unify nationwide.

At the same time, the Government is assigned to issue a framework for basic screening examinations to avoid the situation of scattered, formal, and ineffective implementation.

Delegates proposed to supplement and clearly define the subjects of "disadvantaged people", "low-income people" and "some priority subjects" to ensure consistency in the process of organizing and implementing the Resolution when it is passed.

National Assembly delegate Duong Khac Mai speaks. Photo: Quochoi.vn

Also expressing opinions on the roadmap to increase the level of benefits towards free hospital fees, delegate Duong Khac Mai (Lam Dong delegation) suggested that it is necessary to specify more clearly the implementation roadmap in each stage from 3-5 years, linked with the targets on balancing the health insurance fund and the State budget.

According to him, reality shows that the need for medical examination and treatment increases rapidly with the aging population and the increase in non-communicable diseases. If the roadmap is not designed tightly enough, it could lead to the risk of imbalance in the health insurance fund in the medium and long term.

"Health care for the people is only truly sustainable when the health insurance fund is operated safely, stably and transparently," said the delegate.

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