Hospitals benefit from great development in social work system
Social work has developed greatly at hospitals around the country, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son told a recent conference to review the last 10 years of its development held in HCM City.
Social workers at Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi talk to patients’ relatives. (Photo: VNA)
HCMCity (VNS/VNA) ꦏ— Social work has developed greatly at hospitalsaround the country, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son told a recent conferenceto review the last 10 years of its development held in HCM City.
All central-levelhospitals, 90 percent at the provincial level and 80 percent at the districtlevel now have social work departments, and the number of social workers athospitals has increased, according to the deputy minister. In thepast social workers at hospitals mostly used to be involved with charity, butnow also provide psychological assistance to patients. Duringthe COVID-19 outbreaks they did the tasks of screening people enteringhospitals and teaching patients preventive measures well. Theyhave called on companies to donate medical equipment. Thesocial work department at Cho Ray Hospital was held up as an outstanding model. NguyenTri Thuc, the hospital’s director, said the department had been developed froma social work team set up in 2004. “It hasworked with charity organisations and sponsors to subsidise hospital fees forpoor patients, and has been providing 5,000 free meals to poor patients everyday for the last 12 years.” It alsoprovides psychological assistance in many ways, he said, adding that this year,for instance, patients getting infusion therapy could listen to symphony musicor read newspapers. Socialworkers at hospitals also provide legal assistance to patients and help themperform daily activities. But Sonalso pointed to deficiencies like lack of a legal framework forsuch activities. Moretraining courses should be organised to improve the capacity of social workersat hospitals, he said. AssocProf Nguyen Tuan Hung, deputy director of the Ministry of Health’s personneland organisation department, said social work had been developed throughout thecountry, contributing to the creation of an advanced social welfare system./.
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Social workers at Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi talk to patients’ relatives. (Photo: VNA) 
