The event was co-organised by the Vietnam Young Physicians' Association, ActionAid International in Vietnam, the Institute of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Hanoi Medical University, and the Institute of Economics and Medical Technology.
At the seminar, the organising board announced the findings of the study titled "Public sector wage situation for frontline healthcare staffs during COVID-19 pandemic". The study was conducted on more than 2,000 health workers at all levels from September to November 2021.
According to research results, about 60% of health workers have had to take on a significant amount of work and working hours during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, more than 30% of health workers participating in the survey said that salaries, bonuses and allowances have been reduced, with more than 60% of health workers participating in the fight against the epidemic confirming that, up to now, they have not received any allowance.
The above causes significantly reduce the work motivation and desire to stick with the work of medical staff, doctors, and health workers, indirectly affecting the quality of health care services for patients with Covid-19 as well as other medical conditions that require intensive medical care.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Xuan Bach, Vice President of the Vietnam Young Physicians' Association, Health Economist, Research Team Leader, said that the COVID-19 pandemic has not only changed the requirements for work, but also profoundly affected the lives and physical and mental health of medical staff.
The above research is one of the three main topics of the conference.
At the workshop, the delegates also discussed the needs and recommendations of policies to support health workers, the frontline of epidemic prevention and control, and the people during and after the pandemic.
ActionAid Vietnam chief representative Hoang Phuong Thao emphasised that Vietnam has been very successful in curbing the negative impacts of the pandemic on people's health. Within that success was the silent but extremely noble sacrifice of medical staff in all localities. The reports at the conference showed the necessity and urgency of salary reform for medical staff.
