Quang Ninh arranges the health system according to the 2-level local government model: Bringing quality services to the people

The goal of restructuring the health system associated with the 2-level local government model in Quang Ninh is to strengthen the capacity of the grassroots level; with the addition of 113 doctors from the upper level to 55 new health stations, raising the average ratio to 4.6 doctors/station, Quang Ninh is investing heavily so that people can access quality health services right at the commune and ward levels.

Supplementing high-quality human resources for the grassroots level

Before the “restructuring”, many commune and ward health stations in Quang Ninh province were operating in a state of lack of doctors and limited equipment, leading to not being able to create full trust from the people. Therefore, in the process of restructuring the health system, the province clearly identified that the grassroots health care is the place closest to the people and must be strengthened first, to become a reliable address for primary health care.

Leaders of Quang Ninh Department of Health encouraged and assigned tasks to doctors and nurses of Mong Cai Regional General Hospital. Photo: QMG

The biggest and decisive change is in the health sector's human resources. All reserve human resources from health centers have been transferred to health stations. Along with that, the health sector has mobilized 113 doctors from health centers (formerly) to work at 55 new health stations. Together with 140 doctors from old stations, the total number of doctors working at commune and ward levels is currently 253 people. Thereby, helping the ratio of doctors at health stations reach an average of 4.6 doctors/station and the target is 4-6 doctors/station.

In Quang Yen ward, after the reorganization, the ward health station has one main station and one point station with 23 medical staff; including 5 doctors. Doctor Vu Ngoc Loan, Station Chief, shared: "With the increased human resources, we will quickly reorganize the apparatus to maximize the capacity of medical staff, to serve people in medical examination and treatment as well as preventive medicine, population, family planning...

Not only Quang Yen, records at new medical stations show that the doctors and nurses mobilized to the grassroots showed high determination; at the Mong Cai 2 Ward Medical Station, the reinforcement of 5 officers and doctors from the medical center brought the total number of staff to 22 people (including 4 doctors). Young female doctor Hoang Thi Ly, one of those mobilized to the grassroots shared: this is both a task and an opportunity for her to maximize her capacity and youth, together with her colleagues to improve the capacity of medical examination and treatment, health management, and provide the best care for people right at the grassroots level.

People have access to fair and quality health services.

The presence of doctors at higher levels immediately affected the psychology and trust of the people. Mr. Hoang Van Khai (a resident of Mong Cai 2 ward) could not hide his excitement: "We are very happy to see new doctors working. Having a doctor right at the facility, we feel much more secure because we only need to go to the station near our home to be examined, consulted, and treated promptly; only when the illness is serious do we have to transfer to a higher level. People really hope that in the near future, the medical station will be upgraded, repaired to be more spacious, and invested in more modern equipment so that medical examination and treatment for the people will be more convenient and effective."

Mr. Khai's wish is also the wish of Mr. Tran Xuan Tinh (Quang Yen ward); Mr. Tinh hopes that in the coming time, the ward's medical station will be invested with more modern equipment and machinery so that doctors and nurses can work in more favorable conditions. The improved quality of medical examination and treatment will help people in the ward have more confidence when they come to the ward's medical station for medical examination and treatment.

To meet that expectation, the Quang Ninh health sector has specific plans after officially operating the new model. According to Deputy Director of the Department of Health Nguyen Minh Tuan, in the coming time, the Department will continue to advise on appropriate mechanisms and policies to ensure a stable, high-quality and long-term source of human resources for grassroots health care. The whole sector also focuses on training and fostering human resources, coordinating with medical universities to organize courses to improve the expertise and skills of grassroots health workers . Thereby, helping them to proficiently perform basic techniques such as ultrasound, reading electrocardiograms, screening patients, and making appropriate referrals...

The goal of this synchronous investment is to improve the quality of primary health care. When 55 new health stations are equipped with ultrasound, X-ray, testing and drug dispensing techniques, the health sector aims to increase the rate of people using health insurance health care services at the commune level from 16.1% (statistics for the first 6 months of 2025) to over 20% in the coming time. At the same time, a large infrastructure investment plan is also being carefully prepared by Quang Ninh province. Accordingly, the province will allocate a minimum land fund of 5,000m² for each health station and prepare to invest in the construction of all 55 new health stations in communes, wards and special zones in 2026.

Source: https://daibieunhandan.vn/quang-ninh-sap-xep-he-thong-y-te-theo-mo-hinh-chinh-quyen-dia-phuong-2-cap-dua-dich-vu-chat-luong-den-voi-nguoi-dan-10394992.html