The quality of training as well as personnel qualification in the health sector falls short of actual requirements, experts said at a meeting held in Hanoi last Friday.

Practice should happen alongside the study of special subjects and a system should be set up that can accurately assess the graduate's abilities, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said. — Illustrative image/ File Photo 

Attending the meeting were Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam , officials of the ministries of Education and Training (MOET) and Health (MOH), and representatives of several medical schools.

Concerns were expressed that some of the recently opened medical schools were not offering quality education with their students unable to receive proper training and practice. As a result, the students were also finding it difficult to apply for jobs.

After discussing the current education model and comparing it with other countries, meeting participants agreed that medical training would have to be upgraded in order to improve workforce quality and meet actual needs of the health sector in protecting and taking care of residents' health.

Vo Tan Son, former principal of the HCM City Medicine and Pharmacy University, said that to improve workforce quality in the health sector, medical students should begin studies in their specialties as soon as they finish the regular six-year course in general medicine.

Practice should happen alongside the study of special subjects and a system should be set up that can accurately assess the graduate's abilities, he said

Deputy PM Dam said medical training requirements should be set out in detail and international models accessed in order to come up with a proper training model here.

He asked the MOET and MOH to define knowledge requirements for each level in the medical training system, including undergraduate, masters and doctorate degrees. They should also determine the proper training period for each level, he said.

The Deputy PM also said the two ministries should issue circulars and documents to strengthen training quality in the health sector.

He emphasised the need for hospitals to partner medical schools so that the latter gets to know real demands and provides students with needed practice.