JOINT CIRCULAR No. 1100-TC-HCP-TT Explaining and Supplementing the Medication and Allowance System for Officials, Workers, and Their Children When Ill

CIRCULAR

Explanation and Supplement to Medication and Allowance for Cadres, Workers, and Their Children When Ill

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In order to ensure consistent care and health support for cadres, workers, and their children when ill across all sectors and levels, our joint ministries hereby explain and supplement the medication and allowance system as follows:

I. - MEDICATION AND ALLOWANCE FOR CADRES AND WORKERS

1) Standards:

According to the standard supply regulations of 1956, the projected medical and pharmaceutical fee for each person per year is:

2) Application of standards:

Preventive medicine:

a) To purchase malaria prevention medication based on region category 1 or 2, taking 3 tablets or 2 tablets per week, i.e., 12 tablets and 8 tablets per person per month. Organizations in regions entitled to preventive medicine must ensure malaria prevention medication for cadres and workers. Medical treatment at workplace:

b) To purchase emergency and common medicines to stock in the workplace pharmacy or buy medicine based on prescriptions from responsible doctors or hospitals for treatment at the workplace. Allowance at workplace:

c) Calculated at a standard of 300đ per day. Each allowance period shall not exceed 7 days, proposed by the Workplace Nurse in coordination with the Trade Union and decided by the Head of the Organization. Where there is no Nurse, the Trade Union proposes and the Head of the Organization reviews. This standard applies in cases where cadres and workers are ill but do not require hospitalization, only need treatment at home or workplace. After 7 days, it can be extended. The decision on allowances should be made gently based primarily on professional opinions, avoiding discussion in meetings. Medicine and allowance at hospital:

d) Used to pay hospital fees for cadres who are hospitalized for treatment (allowance according to rank and severity of illness, medicine cost according to hospital characteristics). For cadres and workers suffering from tuberculosis or leprosy requiring long-term treatment, organizations may be reimbursed beyond the general standard stipulated above. Within the scope of the general standard for the entire year (lowland area 16,240đ, mountainous area 20,000đ, Thai Meo Autonomous Region and Provinces within the Autonomous Region 23,000đ per person per year), organizations may use the entire allocated medical and pharmaceutical budget flexibly based on necessity for medication and allowance for sick cadres and workers at the workplace or hospital, without mechanically separating the expenses under the medical and pharmaceutical fee standard and rigidly adhering to the allocated amount for each item as some organizations have done previously.

Particularly for organizations with many sick individuals where the medical and pharmaceutical fee standard is insufficient, local Administrative Committees at the provincial or district level will examine and adjust between departments at the same level to ensure medication and allowance for cadres and workers. If the adjustment still does not suffice, the local Administrative Committee will report specifically to the Ministry of Finance for resolution. At the central level, the Ministry of Finance will base decisions on proposals from organizations that need to exceed the standard, in conjunction with the Ministry of Health, to review and decide.

3) Specific cases:

Mild illness:

a) Use medicine from the workplace pharmacy and allowance if necessary. Moderate to severe illness:

b) See a doctor, if necessary and eligible, be hospitalized for treatment, enjoy hospital benefits: pay for meals, while the organization pays for medicine and allowance with the hospital. In case of work requirements or hospital bed shortage,

c) cadres and workers hospitalized due to illness who must return to the workplace or home for treatment will receive the same allowance as in the hospital, decided by the Doctor or Nurse at the clinic or hospital. The duration of such allowance should not exceed one month per period. Additional allowance periods require re-examination and decision by the Doctor. Medicine will be obtained based on the prescription from the Doctor, supplied by the workplace pharmacy if available, or purchased from the drug warehouse or trade. If the drug warehouse or trade is out of stock, it can be purchased externally.To avoid situations where patients are given prescriptions to buy medicine from the workplace pharmacy encountering difficulties due to lack of stock in the drug warehouse or trade, or scarcity in the market, Doctors should carefully consider when issuing prescriptions. Prescribed medicines should match the availability of the drug warehouse or trade, avoiding those only available in the external market unless treating serious illnesses.

Nutritional supplements:

d) Will be handled based on the Doctor's prescription in cases where it is deemed necessary to combine with treatment or to regain strength after a serious illness. In general cases, if deemed necessary, it will be handled according to the allowance system. Medicine can be purchased from the drug warehouse, trade, or provided by the hospital but not purchased externally. Regarding treatment with traditional Chinese or Vietnamese medicine,

e) the Ministry of Health is currently researching and will provide guidance later.II. - MEDICATION FOR CHILDREN OF CADRES AND WORKERS

Children living with parents at the workplace (regardless of whether they receive additional allowances) are entitled to a monthly allowance of 250đ per child for common and emergency medicines shared among them.

For officials, employees living with their parents at the workplace (regardless of whether they receive allowances or not), it is budgeted 250 đồng per month for each child to purchase common medicines and emergency supplies for the children's shared use.

Severely ill children will be referred for medical examination at the Clinics for Cadres, Workers, and Employees. If it is deemed necessary to provide medication for treatment at the workplace, the Clinic will supply the required amount of medicine, in addition to the usual medications available in the workplace's pharmacy. If hospitalization is required, the Clinic will refer them to the hospital for civilian patients. In cases where the hospital is full, the Clinic will provide the necessary medication for treatment at home over a certain period to avoid daily visits by parents to obtain medication.

If children are hospitalized, the hospital will provide the medication. For severe cases, if doctors determine it necessary, they will be entitled to a subsistence allowance of 400 đồng per day. The food expenses of the children during their stay at the hospital will be directly settled by their parents with the hospital, calculated at two-thirds of the monthly subsistence allowance they receive, if applicable.

For example, if a child receives a monthly subsistence allowance of 12,000 đồng and is treated for 20 days, the payment would be:

If the monthly subsistence allowance is only 4,800 đồng, then the payment would be:

Children living outside the workplace but residing in the location where their parents work will be provided with a referral letter from the workplace to the Clinics for Cadres, Workers, and Employees or local hospitals, depending on whether their parents work in Hanoi or in other regions. The referral letter must clearly state that the child lives outside the workplace so that the Clinic or hospital can appropriately issue medication since these children do not have access to the usual standard medications at the workplace.

In cases where the location is far from where the parents work, the People's Committee of the commune or ward will directly refer them to the health station or local hospital.

Clinics for Cadres, Workers, and Employees in Hanoi and local hospitals are allocated a certain budget for medication, food, and subsistence allowances for the children, according to the regulations of the Ministry of Health.

All expenditures for the children, after deducting the amounts paid by their parents to the hospital, shall be covered by the public fund and settled under the "Social Relief" account. This Circular applies to both old and new cadres, North and South, and takes effect upon receipt.

This Circular applies to both old and new cadres, North and South, and takes effect upon receipt.