Developing more practical and humane policies

At the upcoming year-end session of the Dong Nai Provincial People’s Council in 2025, the Council is expected to review a substantial volume of agenda items spanning various sectors.

In addition to regular matters, based on the local budget balance and the actual conditions in the province, the Council will also consider and decide on several special policy measures designed to address urgent local issues and promote socio-economic development within the province.      

Medical staff at Loc Quang Commune Health Station vaccinate young children. Photo: Collaborator

Caring for and supporting the staff and civil servants

Nguyen Huu Dinh, Member of the Provincial Party Committee and Director of the Dong Nai Department of Home Affairs, stated that the support policy for officials, civil servants, and public employees who are rotated, transferred, or seconded within Dong Nai province will be among the items reviewed at the year-end regular session of the Provincial People’s Council in 2025. The introduction of this policy stems from urgent practical demands in administrative management in Dong Nai, an administrative unit with a scale and characteristics that are without precedent.

According to the report by the Provincial People's Committee, the reorganization of administrative units and implementation of a two-tier local government system marks a comprehensive reform of the organizational structure. This initiative represents a significant step forward in line with the policy of streamlining the administrative apparatus and enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of state governance, as outlined in the 2025 Law on the Organization of Local Government. However, this model also presents significant challenges in terms of geographical distance and administrative operations. Many officials and civil servants, especially those working in communes and wards in remote areas, must travel significantly farther, sometimes hundreds of kilometers, to reach their workplaces.

On the other hand, the recent operation of the two-tier local government system has highlighted the need to increase the rotation and secondment of provincial-level officials to commune-level positions, to monitor, guide, and promptly resolve difficulties and obstacles during the implementation process. Therefore, developing timely support policies is essential to help officials who are rotated, transferred, or seconded to agencies, units, and localities within Dong Nai province stabilize their lives quickly, in line with legal regulations.

Pham Thi Le Thuy, Vice Chairwoman of Binh Minh Commune People’s Committee, noted that following the merger and implementation of the two-tier local government model, some officials and civil servants face significantly greater challenges due to increased work pressure and longer commuting distances. Therefore, introducing additional support policies is appropriate and aligned with practical needs.

According to the draft resolution, officials and employees who are assigned, rotated, or seconded by competent authorities within Dong Nai province will be entitled to various support policies, including housing rental assistance, meal allowances, and travel expense support, depending on specific circumstances. Additionally, supplementary support policies will be implemented for female officials and ethnic minority personnel assigned, rotated, or seconded by competent authorities.

Caring for the healthcare workforce

The policy on attracting, supporting, and developing Dong Nai province’s healthcare workforce for the 2026-2030 period is also among the practical and humane policies to be reviewed at the year-end regular session of the Provincial People’s Council in 2025.

Do Thi Nguyen, Director of the Department of Health, stated that developing this policy is essential. According to the Director, the current doctor-to-population ratio in Dong Nai remains only at an average level compared to the national average. By 2025, Dong Nai’s doctor-to-population ratio is projected to reach 10 doctors per 10,000 people.

Meanwhile, the target set by the Dong Nai Provincial Party Committee for the 2025–2030 term is 13 to 15 doctors per 10,000 people. Accordingly, by 2030, the healthcare sector is expected to require approximately 3,000 additional doctors, necessitating an average annual increase of 500 to 600 doctors per year. To achieve this goal, it is essential to implement renewed policies on recruitment, support, and training to build a healthcare workforce with the necessary professional competence, qualifications, and ethical standards, while also retaining personnel to effectively fulfill the mission of protecting and caring for public health.

In addition to the policies above, the Provincial People’s Council is expected to review several other practical and humane policies at the year-end regular session of 2025, including: support for staff at public social assistance establishments under the provincial healthcare sector for the 2026-2030 period; support for respected individuals within ethnic minority communities in Dong Nai province; support for ethnic minority students in the province; and support for non-full-time workers and other personnel serving at commune, ward, village, hamlet, and neighborhood levels across Dong Nai province.

According to the healthcare sector, the above draft resolution will be developed based on previous policies, with particular additions from the Resolution No. 34/2022/NQ-HDND of the Dong Nai Provincial People’s Council, dated December 10, 2022 (before administrative reorganization), which regulated support for the province’s healthcare workforce for the 2023-2025 period, and the Resolution No. 18/2019/NQ-HDND of the People’s Council of Binh Phuoc province, dated December 16, 2019, which previously established policies for attracting, incentivizing, training, and developing the healthcare workforce in Binh Phuoc province for 2020-2025 with orientation toward 2030.

The draft resolution outlines regulations for attraction policies, support regimes for staff providing professional assistance and technical transfer, support for healthcare personnel, and training policies for healthcare workforce development.

Do Thi Nguyen, Director of the Department of Health, stated that implementing the policy would help ensure consistency and continuity in the regime and policies for attracting, incentivizing, and training medical personnel across the province, while aligning with the sector’s strategic development vision and adapting to emerging trends.

By Ho Thao - Translated by Huyen Trang, Minho