Local initiative in implementing functions, tasks, and organizational structure of commune, ward, and special zone health stations

Circular 43/2025/TT-BYT clearly guides the functions and tasks of health stations, enhancing the quality of grassroots health services. People will have access to quality health care right at health stations in communes, wards, and special zones.

Member of the Party Central Committee, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan emphasized: To realize the policy of taking preventive medicine and grassroots health care as the foundation and people will have access to quality health services, comprehensive health management right at commune-level health stations,

The conference was held online at 300 locations nationwide with the participation of key leaders of the Department of Health of 34 provinces and cities, Commune Health Stations and People's Committees of several communes, wards and special zones.

Attending the conference at the Ministry of Health bridge were: Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Lien Huong, Deputy Minister of Health; Professor, Dr. Pham Minh Khue, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the Ministry of Health, leaders of Departments, Offices, and units under and directly under the Ministry of Health.

Speaking at the conference, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan affirmed: Along with previous documents, Resolution No. 72-NQ/TW of the Politburo on a number of breakthrough solutions to strengthen the protection, care and improvement of people's health, Directive No. 25-CT/TW of the Secretariat focuses on people's health care and emphasizes primary health care directly implemented at the grassroots level.

The Ministry of Health reviews and evaluates the implementation of functions and tasks of commune and ward health stations in the spirit of meeting people's health care requirements but in accordance with the characteristics of the health sector and the implementation of two-level local government.

Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Lien Huong speaks.

On November 15, 2025, the Ministry of Health issued Circular No. 43/2025/TT-BYT guiding the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of health stations in communes, wards and special zones of provinces and centrally run cities.

At the conference, representatives of the Department of Organization and Personnel (Ministry of Health) disseminated Circular No. 43/2025/TT-BYT. This is an important document to perfect the grassroots health system in the period of administrative unit arrangement and organizational model innovation.

The Circular consists of 4 chapters and 9 articles, clearly defining 22 groups of tasks and powers of the Health Station. In addition to familiar specialized tasks such as disease prevention, expanded immunization, environmental sanitation, non-communicable disease management, maternal and child health care, school health, nutrition, population and health education communication. This Circular adds requirements on the application of information technology, management of electronic health records, participation in digital transformation and performing other tasks assigned by competent authorities.

After completing the administrative unit merger, the country still has 3,321 commune, ward and special zone health stations. On that basis, Circular 43 was issued to ensure the unification of functions, tasks and organizational structure of health stations - the primary health care line closest to the people.

Head of Organization Department Nguyen Hong Son gave a speech.

At the connecting points, representatives of the Department of Health of provinces and cities all said that Circular 43 is expected to contribute to improving the effectiveness of state management, strengthening the professional capacity of grassroots health care, and at the same time creating conditions for Health Stations to better perform the role of "gatekeeper" in people's health care.

In addition, there are also some concerns, focusing on the list of job positions, staffing standards, and staffing of the Health Station's departments; centralized purchasing, signing of health insurance payment contracts; Issuing licenses for medical examination and treatment activities for the Health Station and stations; Allowance regime for leadership positions of the Health Station, departments, and on-duty allowances at stations...

Speaking to clarify the contents of Circular 43/2025/TT-BYT, Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Lien Huong and leaders of relevant functional Departments and Offices analyzed and cited specific and detailed legal documents on the Law on Organization of Local Government No. 65/2025/QH15; Law on Medical Examination and Treatment No. 15/2023/QH15 dated January 9, 2023; Law No. 51/2024/QH15 amending and supplementing a number of articles of the 2008 Law on Health Insurance No. 25/2008/QH12; Resolution No. 72-NQ/TW of the Politburo, Directive No. 25-CT/TW of the Secretariat; System of legal documents under the Law.

Representatives of leaders of Departments and Offices of the Ministry of Health spoke.

The Department of Health of provinces and cities closely follows and advises local authorities to apply and implement at Commune Health Stations - the address considered the pillar for the health system to shift its focus from treatment to disease prevention, improving the quality of primary health care.

Concluding the conference, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan affirmed: To realize the policy of taking preventive medicine and grassroots health care as the foundation and people will have access to quality health services and comprehensive health management right at commune-level health stations, the Ministry of Health focuses on implementing a number of breakthrough solutions, including Circular 43/2025/TT-BYT.

According to Minister Dao Hong Lan, the Ministry of Health issued a Circular guiding the functions and tasks, but implementation is up to the locality. Any difficulties or problems will be discussed to resolve them. If it is under the authority of the locality, the locality must be proactive.

"We are very concerned and share some of the specific difficulties of the locality. Therefore, the guidelines have a roadmap to 2030 to be implemented in parallel with other tasks," said Minister Dao Hong Lan.

At the same time, the head of the health sector said that any province that meets the conditions should first convert 100% of health stations into public service units. For any province that does not meet the conditions, the health sector should develop a project to report to the Provincial People's Committee, including a specific implementation roadmap, including clearly stating human resource support and financial allocation...

However, Minister Dao Hong Lan emphasized that the most important thing is to ensure regular and consistent medical examination and treatment for people at the commune, ward, and special economic zone levels and to ensure the implementation of other functions according to tasks, avoiding interruptions.

"If the commune, ward, and special zone health stations cannot do it, the Department of Health must support and accompany the stations," said Minister Dao Hong Lan.

Minister Dao Hong Lan spoke.

At the conference, Minister Dao Hong Lan requested the Departments and Divisions of the Ministry of Health to continue listening to the opinions of localities, accompanying and supporting the difficulties of the facilities. Any content that is still unclear or unclear needs to be discussed further. When exceeding the authority, report to the Ministry's leaders.

However, once again, the leaders of the Ministry of Health emphasized the initiative of localities in implementing tasks according to decentralization and delegation of authority.

Also at the conference, Minister Dao Hong Lan requested the Department of Health of localities to advise the People's Committees of provinces and cities to issue a Plan to implement Resolution No. 72-NQ/TW. Currently, according to the initial report, many localities have not yet issued this Plan.

The conference connected the Ministry of Health's bridge to 300 bridges nationwide with the participation of key leaders of the Department of Health of 34 provinces and cities, Commune Health Stations and People's Committees of several communes, wards and special zones.

Source: https://suckhoedoisong.vn/su-chu-dong-cua-dia-phuong-trong-thuc-hien-chuc-nang-nhiem-vu-co-cau-to-chuc-cua-tram-y-te-xa-phuong-dac-khu-169251127171135396.htm