300 newly graduated doctors sent to work at grassroots health clinics

This morning, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health held a ceremony to welcome 300 new graduates of medical universities to work at grassroots health clinics.

 

300 newly graduated doctors sent to work at grassroots health clinics ảnh 1 City Chairman Phan Van Mai  congratulates newly graduated doctors at the ceremony (Photo: SGGP)
Speaking at the ceremony, on behalf of city leaders, Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen wished doctors and nurses who will graduate from the Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine and the City University of Medicine and Pharmacy always overcome all challenges to work well.
Mr. Nen expressed that today, Ho Chi Minh City has two important and meaningful events including a farewell ceremony for young people to join in army forceand a ceremony for young newly graduates of medical schools to work in grassroots medical centers.
The Party Secretary expressed that Ho Chi Minh City has gone through difficult days when battling against the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, as soon as the epidemic was under control, the city urgently implemented a master plan to both prevent the Covid-19 epidemic and recover and develop the economy.
In particular, the southern metropolis has identified the health strategy as a pillar of other strategies and plans, to improve the quality of care and support the treatment of people with Covid-19 in the community so that city dwellers can get access to medical care soon.
At the peak of the Covid-19 outbreak in July, many health stations admitted a large number of Covid-19 patients but they lacked a sufficient number of medical workers.
According to Party Chief Nguyen Van Nen, strengthening health care capacity at the grassroots level in commune health stations is the most important. Medical workers from other localities who were sent to help the southern largest city are going to return to their old hospitals; thereby, the program to bring young doctors to the facility will be a turning point for the health sector.
He agreed with the health sector’s proposal, suggesting that the Department of Health continue to closely coordinate with universities, hospitals, medical centers, and stations to raise newly graduated doctors and nurses’ awareness of their roles and responsibilities in a specific and clear way.
The Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee emphasized that the health sector should soon issue legal regulations including remuneration policies (salaries, allowances) when young doctors have to work in conditions that are not qualified to practice as prescribed to help them develop their careers in the long term.
He also asked responsible figures and departments to remove promptly problems for newly graduated doctors and nurses in grassroots healthcare facilities. The health sectors and related agencies should learn a lesson from this time for better preparation for the next time. Mr. Nguyen Van Nen noted party committees and local people's committees to create favorable conditions for young doctors to feel secure in their work.
This time, Ho Chi Minh City has 297 young doctors registering to work in grassroots health care facilities. At the ceremony, Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health Tang Chi Thuong said that sending new graduates to health stations in wards and communes is the first activity in the project to improve basic medical capacity citywide.
300 newly graduated doctors sent to work at grassroots health clinics ảnh 2 Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen  speaks at the ceremony (Photo: SGGP)
Talking about preparation for sending young doctors to grassroots healthcare centers, Dr. Thuong said that the Department of Health has organized several meetings with new graduates from Pham Ngoc Thach Medical University and Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy. Newly graduated doctors were introduced to the Clinical Practice Pilot Program for newly graduated medical doctors to issue a practicing certificate with the scope of medical examination and treatment in general.
As per the program, newly graduated medical staff will practice for 12 months at the medical stations under professional guidance and practice guidance at level-one general hospitals in the city. After that, they will return to practice in hospitals for six months.
The director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health added that when participating in this program, doctors are entitled to a support policy of living expenses. Living expenditure is expected to be VND60 million for 12 months of practice at the grassroots health care facility, which will be considered by the People's Council of Ho Chi Minh City in the upcoming meeting.
The Department of Health received the registration of more than 300 young doctors who have just graduated from Pham Ngoc Thach Medical University and Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy.
Associate Professor Tang Chi Thuong said that the Department of Health and leading general and specialized hospitals of Ho Chi Minh City under the "Pilot program for clinical practice at general hospitals associated with medical stations" issue practice certificates for newly-graduated medical doctors in the scope of general medical examination and treatment.
300 newly graduated doctors sent to work at grassroots health clinics ảnh 3 Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health Tang Chi Thuong speaks at the ceremony (Photo: SGGP)
Dr. Thuong added that this is a completely new program; thus, the Department of Health will actively listen to the opinions and suggestions of young doctors during their practice at local clinics. The Department will conduct periodic evaluation, summarization and draw lessons to achieve the highest possible results and serve as a good premise to maintain this activity every year.
Doctor Nguyen Hoang Hai, Deputy Director of Gia Dinh People's Hospital, said that this year, the training program for young doctors has many changes under the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health’s guidance.
Specifically, if in the previous training program, students had to participate full-time for 18 months at hospitals, new graduates can learn at wards and commune health stations this year helping doctors to diagnose the illness based on symptoms to treat patients quickly.
On behalf of young doctors, Pham Vinh Anh from Pham Ngoc Thach Medical University expressed his happiness to work in grassroots medical stations.
Like the young doctors participating in the 18-month program, Pham Vinh Anh participated in the city’s fight against the coronavirus pandemic during the fourth wave of Covid-19 by consulting and monitoring Covid patients at homes, and field hospitals.
As he used to participate in a remote medical team to monitor Covid patients at home and worked with staff at medical stations, Pham Vinh Anh understands the intense pressure that medical staff in healthcare stations in districts have suffered during the recent epidemic.
He said that taking part in this practice program is a good choice for young doctors to have the opportunity to review and better understand the needs of people at the grassroots level. At the same time, practicing general certification also provides valuable skills.
Learning at the hospital and practicing at the clinic bring a good opportunity for us to apply our newly learned knowledge to patient care, and at the same time train the graduate doctors to be responsible before the patient, he added.

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