In-depth
Medical specialist shortage in Mekong Delta
  • By Nguyen Hanh | dtinews.vn | June 11, 2015 03:01 PM

Specialist medical care is in short supply in the Mekong Delta region, with life-threatening but unpopular fields, such as tuberculosis and leprosy, the hardest hit.

Mekong Delta struggles with doctor shortage

Hospitals and medical practices cannot find enough doctors who understand tuberculosis, leprosy, neurology, psychiatry and forensic pathology, which do not attract sufficient government funding.

Student doctors tend to gravitate towards safe, low stress, and highly paid specialisms that do not require long hours.

Medical students also tend to move to major cities to work once qualified, rather than return to their home regions.

The Health Ministry said Vietnam ranks 12th out of the top 22 countries most affected by tuberculosis, with 130,000 new patients a year, but 332 of 1611 communes in the Mekong Delta do not have doctors.

Doctors check on patient

The Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy said the Mekong Delta Region has the lowest doctor-to-patient ratio in Vietnam. More than 70 communes in Kien Giang Province have no doctors, while Soc Trang Province has 3.89 doctors for every 10,000 people.

Local authorities and the Ministry of Education and Training are trying to attract and train more doctors with specialist skills, but so far have had little success. Many localities have suggest offering more financial incentives to attract skilled personnel.

Pham Van Linh, head of the Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy, said the cost for healthcare science training courses are high, and medical students needed additional training within basic courses to improve the skills of new doctors. 

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