Regulations on standards for village midwives in Vietnam as of January 1, 2024

Regulations on standards for village midwives in Vietnam as of January 1, 2024 (Internet image)

Regarding this issue, LawNet would like to answer as follows:

Regulations on standards for village midwives in Vietnam as of January 1, 2024

Specifically, according to Article 2 of Circular 27/2023/TT-BYT, the standards for village health workers, including village midwives, from 2024 are as follows:

(1) Professional qualifications and training: Village health workers, including village midwives, must meet one of the following criteria:

- Completing a program (with certification) based on the training content and professional requirements specified in Article 6 of Circular 27/2023/TT-BYT.

Article 6. Training content and professional requirements

1. For village health workers: the training content and professional requirements are specified in Appendix 03 issued with this Circular, with a minimum training period of three (03) months.

2. For village midwives: the training content and professional requirements are specified in Appendix 04 of this Circular, with a minimum training period of six (06) months.

3. For village health workers who also serve as village midwives: the training content and professional requirements are specified in Appendix 05 issued with this Circular, with a minimum training period of three (03) months.

4. Vocational education institutions authorized to train nursing, medical assistants, and general practitioners from intermediate level and above shall base their training content and professional requirements on the provisions in Sections 1, 2, and 3 of this Article. They shall establish, evaluate, and issue training programs and materials, organize training courses, and issue training certificates in accordance with vocational education laws and regulations.

- Possessing professional qualifications in medicine (doctor, medical practitioner, nurse, medical assistant) from an intermediate level and above.

(2) Voluntarily participate as village health workers or village midwives.

(3) Have sufficient health to perform the required tasks.

Scope of medical examination and treatment for village midwives in Vietnam

The scope of medical examination and treatment for village midwives is specified as follows:

- For residents in the village:

Identify danger signs, provide initial first aid in emergencies and accidents, and participate in emergency cases.

- For mothers and children in the village:

+ Conduct early detection of pregnancy, prenatal examinations; record and monitor prenatal care, advise and encourage pregnant women to have at least 4 antenatal check-ups and give birth at healthcare facilities.

+ Manage pregnancies, identify high-risk cases, provide initial treatment, and promptly transfer them to healthcare facilities.

+ Detect danger signs in mothers and fetuses during labor, provide initial treatment, notify the commune health station for support, and mobilize family members and the community to transport mothers to healthcare facilities if necessary.

+ Provide initial care for complications in cases of unattended childbirth, assist in delivering the baby and transporting it to healthcare facilities; assist in delivering a breech presentation for pregnant women who cannot reach or are unable to reach healthcare facilities; instruct families on the proper disposal of medical waste according to the actual conditions of the village.

+ Examine and provide care for mothers and newborns at home after delivery:

(i) For mothers: observe general conditions and mental state; measure pulse, temperature, blood pressure, and respiratory rate; assist mothers with nipple retraction, breast engorgement, blocked milk ducts, and provide information on breastfeeding related issues; examine the uterus and check postpartum recovery; examine the birth canal and lochia; detect any abnormal signs in mothers; and transfer to healthcare facilities when necessary.

(ii) For newborns: weigh the baby, monitor the baby's development; breastfeeding status; evaluate the baby's general condition, including pulse, respiratory rate, and breath sounds; observe for any abnormalities or congenital defects in the whole body, including skin, mouth, ears, eyes, feet, hands, genitals, anus, etc.; examine the skin, clean the body, and care for the baby's skin; examine the umbilical cord and care for it; promptly detect any abnormal signs in the baby and transfer to healthcare facilities when necessary.

+ Provide guidance and counseling on women's hygiene, measures to prevent infections in the reproductive system, and sexually transmitted diseases.

+ Provide guidance and counseling on appropriate supplementary diets for children.

+ Distribute iron/folic acid products for pregnant women, mothers, and products for preventing and treating malnutrition in children according to the guidance of the commune health station (if available), combined with guidance, monitoring at the household level.

- Manage and effectively use the village midwife's toolkit; support the commune health station in instructing patients to use essential and safe medications effectively.

- The list of medical examination and treatment techniques for village midwives is specified in Appendix 02 issued with Circular 27/2023/TT-BYT.

(Article 5 of Section 2 of Circular 27/2023/TT-BYT)

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