05 Duties of Village Health Workers in Primary Healthcare

The rural and village healthcare staff involved in primary healthcare must perform tasks detailed in Article 4 of Circular 07/2013/TT-BYT as follows:

Illustration (source: internet)

First, health promotion and education in the community:

- Conduct health education campaigns to disseminate knowledge on health protection, environmental sanitation, and food safety;

- Guide various measures for primary healthcare; prevent and control diseases within the community;

- Educate and raise awareness about HIV/AIDS prevention;

- Promote, provide information, and offer consultations on population and family planning activities.

Second, participation in professional medical activities within the community:

- Detect, participate in monitoring, and report on the situation of epidemic, infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, social diseases, and food-borne diseases in the village;

- Participate in monitoring the quality of drinking and daily-use water; inspect household and public sanitation facilities within the village;

- Implement initiatives for disease prevention hygiene, food safety, community health promotion, and building healthy cultural villages.

Third, healthcare for mothers and children and family planning:

- Encourage pregnant women to register for pregnancy management, antenatal check-ups at commune health stations, and deliver at medical facilities; handle cases of women giving birth en route to medical facilities;

- Guide and monitor the health of mothers and newborns at home during the first 6 weeks post-delivery;

- Provide simple measures for monitoring and caring for children’s health and preventing malnutrition in children under 5 years of age;

- Guide family planning measures, provide and instruct on the use of condoms and contraceptive pills as regulated by the Ministry of Health.

Fourth, initial first aid and care for common illnesses:

- Administer initial first aid for emergencies and accidents;

- Care for common illnesses within the community;

- Guide on health care for the elderly, disabled, those with social diseases, and non-communicable diseases at home.

Fifth, participation in implementing health programs in the village.

- Encourage and guide people to cultivate and use traditional medicine at home to prevent and treat common ailments.

- Participate in regular meetings with commune health stations; attend training and professional development courses organized by higher-level health authorities to improve skills.

- Manage and effectively utilize the village health kit.

- Record and report promptly and comprehensively following the guidance of the commune health station.

Moreover, Circular 07/2013/TT-BYT also specifies the duties of village midwives as follows:

- Propagate and advocate for maternal and child health care:

+ Advise on reproductive health and family planning for women of childbearing age; prevent malnutrition in children under 5 years;

+ Encourage pregnant women to register for pregnancy management, receive antenatal check-ups at commune health stations, deliver at medical facilities, get tetanus vaccination for mothers, and ensure complete vaccinations for children within the recommended age;

+ Instruct pregnant women on self-care during pregnancy, post-delivery, breastfeeding, and rational child feeding.

- Provide maternal care during pregnancy:

+ Manage pregnancy, identify high-risk cases, and promptly refer to medical facilities;

+ Assist in normal deliveries for pregnant women unable to reach a medical facility;

+ Initially handle complications during home deliveries and transfer promptly to medical facilities.

- Provide regular postpartum care for mothers and newborns at home;

- Guide family planning measures, provide and instruct on the use of condoms and contraceptive pills as regulated by the Ministry of Health;

- Participate in implementing health programs in the village;

- Attend regular meetings with commune health stations; participate in training and professional development courses organized by higher-level health authorities to improve skills;

- Manage and effectively utilize the village midwife kit;

- Record and report promptly and comprehensively following the guidance of the commune health station.

Refer to additional regulations in Circular 07/2013/TT-BYT effective from May 1, 2013.

Thu Ba

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