Joint Circular No. 20/2001/TTLT-BTCCBCP-BYT dated April 27, 2001 of the Government Commission for Organization and Personnel and the Ministry of Health guiding the transfer of the task of state management over the field of health at localities from health centers of urban and rural districts, as well as provincial capitals and towns to the People’s Committees of the same levels

JOINT-CIRCULAR

GUIDING THE TRANSFER OF THE TASK OF STATE MANAGEMENT OVER THE FIELD OF HEALTH AT LOCALITIES FROM HEALTH CENTERS OF URBAN AND RURAL DISTRICTS, AS WELL AS PROVINCIAL CAPITALS AND TOWNS TO THE PEOPLE’S COMMITTEES OF THE SAME LEVELS

Pursuant to Clause 2, Article 2 of the Government’s Decree No. 12/2001/ND-CP of March 27, 2001 restructuring a number of professional bodies under the People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities and People’s Committees of districts, towns and provincial cities; the Government Commission for Organization and Personnel and the Ministry of Health hereby jointly guide the implementation of Clause 4, Article 1 on transferring the task of State management over the field of health in localities from health centers of urban and rural districts, as well as provincial capitals and towns to the People’s Committees of the same levels as follows:

I. TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PEOPLE’S COMMITTEES OF URBAN AND RURAL DISTRICTS, AS WELL AS PROVINCIAL CAPITALS AND TOWNS (HEREINAFTER REFERRED COLLECTIVELY TO AS DISTRICTS) FOR THE WORK OF STATE MANAGEMENT OVER THE FIELD OF HEALTH IN THE DISTRICTS

1. Tasks:

a) To work out plans, programs and implementation solutions on healthcare for people in the districts;

b) To direct the implementation of the plans, programs and solutions on healthcare for people in the districts once they are approved;

c) To decide on medical inspection plans in the districts and direct the implementation thereof;

d) To direct and guide various branches and associations in the districts in performing the work of protecting people’s health, preventing and combating epidemics, boosting the socialization of health activities as well as health propagation and education among people in order to raise their knowledge about prophylactic hygiene to take care of their own health in the community.

2. Responsibilities:

To bear responsibilities before the provincial People’s Committees for the State management over the field of health in the districts.

II. TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ORGANIZATIONS PERFORMING THE STATE MANAGEMENT OVER THE FIELD OF HEALTH IN DISTRICTS

1. Organizations:

a) Depending on the characteristics of their districts, the presidents of the district People’s Committees shall assign cadres and officials of the district People’s Council and People’s Committee Offices to perform the such task as specialists (without setting up separate sections) and provide advises directly to the presidents or vice-presidents of the district People’s Committees on the State management over the field of health in the districts. The district staff for the State management over the field of health shall be included in payroll of the district People’s Councils and People’s Committees Offices and adjusted within the total State management payroll of the provinces and districts;

b) The specialists performing the State management over the field of health must have graduated from Medicine University or Pharmaceutical University or have higher degrees. Regarding other qualifications, they must satisfy the criteria prescribed for grades of specialists.

2. Tasks:

a) To advise the presidents of the district People’s Committees on approving plans, programs and solutions for the care of people’s health in the districts, which are submitted to the presidents of the district People’s Committees by the health centers;

b) To supervise the implementation of such plans and programs by the health centers; promptly detect and report to the presidents of the district People’s Committees on relevant matters for the latter to coordinate with the directors of the provincial/municipal Health Services in directing and adjusting the operation of health centers. To be entitled to attend briefings and seminars held by health centers or conferences on the care for people’s health in the districts held by provincial Health Services;

c) Basing themselves on the examination and inspection plans of the provincial Health Services’ inspectors, to work out and submit to the presidents of the district People’s Committees plans on the examination and inspection of healthcare activities in the districts and organize the implementation of such plans once they are approved. To suggest and propose to the presidents of the district People’s Committees and the directors of provincial Health Services measures for handling after the examination and inspection.

In necessary cases, to propose the presidents of the district People’s Committees to issue decisions on irregular examination and inspection of healthcare activities in the districts, and report the results thereof to the presidents of the district People’s Committees and the directors of the provincial Health Services.

d) To submit to the presidents of the district People’s Committees plans on coordination with concerned branches and associations, aiming to boost the socialization of healthcare activities as well as health propagation and education in order to raise the people’s awareness of prophylactic hygiene and take care of their own health in the community.

3. Responsibilities:

To bear responsibilities before the presidents of the district People’s Committees for the performance of tasks prescribed at Point 2, Section II above.

III. RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS OF THE PROVINCIAL/MUNICIPAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR THE WORK OF STATE MANAGEMENT OVER THE FIELD OF HEALTH IN DISTRICTS

1. Responsibilities:

a) To submit to the provincial People’s Committees plans, programs and solutions on healthcare for people in the districts, proposed by the district People’s Committees for approval;

b) To direct and guide district health centers in carrying out the plans, programs and solution already approved;

c) To direct the provincial health inspectors to coordinate with the specialists performing the State management over districts’ healthcare activities in elaborating plans on examination and inspection of health activities in the districts for submission to the directors of the provincial Health Services and the presidents of the district People’s Committees, and organize the execution of such plans once they are approved.

2. Responsibilities:

To bear responsibilities before the provincial People’s Committees for the direction, guiding, examination and inspection of the implementation of objectives, plans, programs and solutions on healthcare for people.

IV. IMPLEMENTATION ORGANIZATION

1. The presidents of the People’s Committees of the provinces and centrally-run cities shall have to organize the implementation of this Joint-Circular.

2. This Joint-Circular takes effect after its signing and replaces Items 2.4 and 2.8, Point 2 Section IV of Joint-Circular No. 02/1998/TTLT-BYT-BTCCBCP of June 27, 1998 of the Ministry of Health and the Government Commission for Organization and Personnel;

3. In the course of implementation, if any difficulties and troubles arise, they must be reported to the Government Commission for Organization and Personnel and the Ministry of Health for study and settlement.