Ho Chi Minh City Healthcare Staff Leave Posts Amid Heavy Workloads

Ho Chi Minh City's grassroots medical stations are grappling with a critical shortage of healthcare personnel, facing a deficit of nearly 1,900 staff. The situation is exacerbated by a significant number of resignations and transfers; in the first half of 2026 alone, 198 medical workers left their posts, while only 69 new hires were made. This stark imbalance highlights a major challenge in retaining essential staff at the local level. Leaders at these stations report that current employees are handling triple the workload compared to previous years. They attribute their continued service primarily to passion, acknowledging the extreme difficulty of their roles. Concerns are mounting that further staff reductions could lead to an exodus of remaining workers, especially as the healthcare sector faces increasing demands for development and improvement. The city's Health Department noted that while the number of medical stations and doctors has increased following administrative reforms, the scale of service has also expanded significantly. Many stations now serve populations exceeding 50,000, with some serving over 200,000 residents, placing immense pressure on the limited workforce. The department is urging central authorities to revise staffing quotas and implement specialized policies to address the retention crisis and ensure the stability of primary healthcare services.

“

Each staff member now has to handle three times the workload as before. We are working mainly out of passion, not for any other reason, it's very tough, to maintain all activities. If the staffing is cut further, it's a huge worry whether colleagues will continue to work in grassroots healthcare, while the unit demands continuous development and growth.