Circular No. 16/1999/TT-BYT guides the implementation of Decision No. 38/1999/QĐ-TTg dated March 6, 1999 of the Prime Minister promulgating regulations on the subjects and criteria for the title of Labor Hero and People's Armed Forces Hero in the period of renovation and the procedures for selecting and proposing to confer the title of Labor Hero in the health sector.

CIRCULAR

Guidelines for Implementing Decision

Decision No. 38/1999/QĐ-TTg dated March 6, 1999 of the Prime Minister

promulgating regulations on the subjects and criteria for the title of Labor Hero and People's Armed Forces Hero in the period of renovation and the procedures for nominating the title of Labor Hero in the healthcare sector.

title of Labor Hero and People's Armed Forces Hero in the period of renovation.

 and the procedures for nominating the title of Labor Hero in the healthcare sector.

_______________________

Implementing Decision No. 38/1999/QĐ-TTg dated March 6, 1999 of the Prime Minister promulgating regulations on the subjects and criteria for the title of Labor Hero and People's Armed Forces Hero in the period of renovation. Pursuant to Circular No. 241/TĐKT dated May 7, 1999 of the State Agency for Awards and Honors guiding the procedures and formalities for nominating the title of Hero in the period of renovation, the Ministry of Health guides the subjects, criteria, procedures, and formalities for nominating the title of Labor Hero in the healthcare sector as follows:

A. SUBJECTS AND CRITERIA FOR NOMINATING THE TITLE OF LABOR HERO IN THE HEALTHCARE SECTOR:

I. ON THE SUBJECTS:

- Officials and civil servants (OCCS) in the healthcare sector (including those who have sacrificed their lives or passed away, those who have retired) regardless of age, gender, religion, ethnicity, profession, social class, place of residence.

- Healthcare collectives (Companies, Enterprises, Hospitals, units, Departments, Sections, Bureaus... ) in the healthcare sector.

- Foreign individuals and foreign healthcare organizations operating in the fields of health, medicine, medical equipment in Vietnam.

- Collectives and individuals who were previously awarded the title of Hero, if they meet the criteria, can still be considered and nominated by the state for the title of Hero in this round.

II. ON THE CRITERIA:

The criteria for the title of Labor Hero in the healthcare sector are specified as follows:

1. General Standards:

Being loyal to the country and socialism, having heroic actions (being bold in thinking and doing), achieving outstanding achievements in the assigned field of work, making significant contributions to the cause of caring for and protecting people's health during the period of renovation, being exemplary in patriotic emulation movements in the healthcare sector, serving as a model in all aspects for the unit, locality, and the healthcare sector. The achievements of the unit or individual must be recognized and honored by colleagues, the unit, locality, and the healthcare sector.

2. Specific Standards:

a. For Individuals:

- Having the spirit of being bold in thinking and doing, courageous, creative in difficult circumstances of the unit or oneself, completing tasks excellently, with high productivity, quality, and efficiency compared to other units in the same specialty, standing out in the healthcare sector, making important contributions to the completion of the sector's, locality's, and unit's tasks.

- Having many scientific research projects in the field of medicine or inventions, innovations of great value (awarded labor creativity certificates or scientific awards), applying domestic and international scientific progress to Vietnamese healthcare, bringing practical benefits to people's health care or production, highly evaluated and admired by the healthcare sector, the state, or internationally, or having effective solutions implementing the strategic orientation of the healthcare sector until 2000 and 2010.

- Having high political and professional qualifications, making significant contributions to training and developing healthcare and medical equipment personnel for colleagues and younger generations or guiding techniques, transferring technology, production experience to colleagues, localities, and the sector.

- Having a sense of organizational discipline, promoting self-reliance, thrift, honesty, leading a healthy lifestyle. Having a strong sense of responsibility, being dedicated to work, respecting and helping colleagues. Having a spirit of sincerity, unity with everyone, loving patients, strictly adhering to the medical ethics code (12 Medical Ethics Principles) as a role model in professional ethics respected and beloved by the people and colleagues.

b. For Collectives:

- Being a collective with outstanding achievements leading in the fields of diagnosis and treatment, preventive healthcare, medical equipment, traditional medicine, pharmaceuticals... in terms of productivity, quality, management measures, business, production, bringing excellent economic results or excellent service results for people's health, recognized and emulated by units in the region and within the healthcare sector.

- Having many collective or individual scientific research projects, technological innovations, applications of advanced science and technology, leading in the movement of promoting initiatives and improvements, bringing high efficiency and value in diagnosis and treatment work, in drug production, medical equipment, in preventive healthcare work, in management, in the green, clean, and beautiful movement, recognized by the healthcare sector and colleagues.

- Being a united collective, the Party organization, administration, and mass organizations are clean and strong. The administrative management is efficient, the Trade Union and Youth League have many experiences and methods to mobilize the masses; focusing on nurturing and training cadres; having a cadre team solid in politics and proficient in expertise.

- Leading in the implementation and strict compliance with the Party and State policies in all areas: managing and using funds and assets effectively. Ensuring order, hygiene, and safety in the office and unit. Taking good care of the spiritual and material life of officials and workers. Having vibrant and continuous emulation campaigns, cultural and sports activities. Such a collective must have prestige in the sector and locality. Trusted and praised by the authorities, mass organizations, and the local people.

c. For those with outstanding achievements:

In addition to the general and specific criteria mentioned above, if any individual or unit in the healthcare sector achieves outstanding and exceptional achievements, performs brave, creative, and intelligent actions, dares to sacrifice themselves to protect the lives and property of the collective, people, and patients, setting a bright example for the sector and locality to emulate. Such brave actions are admired and praised by everyone, then they will also be considered by the healthcare sector for nomination to the state for the title of Hero.

d. For individuals and groups of foreign nationals working in the fields of medicine, pharmacy, and medical equipment in Vietnam, if they have outstanding achievements contributing significantly to the development of Vietnam's healthcare sector and meet the criteria for Hero Laborer as stipulated in Decision No. 38/1999/QĐ-TTg dated March 6, 1999 of the Prime Minister, they will also be considered by the Ministry of Health for recommendation to the State to confer the title of Hero Laborer.

B. PROCEDURES, FORMALITIES, FILES FOR REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATION FOR THE CONFERMENT OF THE HERO LABORER TITLE IN THE HEALTH SECTOR:

1. Regarding the period for reviewing achievements:

The period for reviewing achievements starts from 1986, which marks the beginning of the period of renewal, with a focus on reviewing achievements mainly from 1990 to the present.

2. Procedures and formalities for review and selection:

a. Principles: The review and selection of the Hero Laborer title must ensure the principles of transparency, democracy, and fairness.

b. Steps to carry out: The review and recommendation process must go through the following steps:

Step 1: Organize introductions and mass endorsement.

+ Heads of units shall disseminate to staff members the standards set forth in Decision No. 38/1999/QĐ-TTg dated March 6, 1999 of the Prime Minister, which have been further detailed in this Circular by the Ministry of Health, and organize joint meetings between the Party, Trade Union, Administration, and Youth League of the unit to preliminarily examine and introduce individuals and groups within the unit who are eligible for nomination for the Hero Laborer title.

+ Individuals or groups introduced shall prepare reports on their achievements. These reports shall then be presented at the staff meeting of the group, and opinions of the group shall be solicited through secret ballots. If the trust vote for an individual reaches 80% or more of the total number of staff members in the group, a file shall be established and submitted to the unit's Commendation and Reward Council for examination. For individuals or groups that are key leaders of the unit (heads of administration, Party Secretaries, Deputy Secretaries of the Party Committee, Secretaries, Deputy Secretaries of the Youth League, Chairpersons, Deputy Chairpersons of the Trade Union), in addition to the trust vote of the group mentioned above, a trust vote must also be conducted at a meeting of key leaders of the unit (from department heads, section chiefs, etc.) through secret ballots, and the result must reach 80% or more of the total number of participants in the vote to be submitted to the unit's Commendation and Reward Council for examination.

Step 2: Examination and recommendation by the Commendation and Reward Councils at various levels.

- After completing Step 1, personnel responsible for commendation and reward work in the unit shall establish files and submit them to the unit's Commendation and Reward Council. The unit's Commendation and Reward Council shall convene a meeting to examine and vote secretly, record the voting results, and the Standing Body of the Council shall report to the head of the unit for examination before submitting the file to higher authorities.

- For units under the direct management of the Ministry of Health, the head of the unit shall complete the file and send it to the Ministry of Health for examination. If the subject is a group or individual at the level of leadership of a grassroots unit or higher, there must be written agreement from the People's Committee of the province or centrally-administered city where the unit or individual operates.

- For health units under the management of local People's Committees, the Director of the Health Department shall submit the file to the People's Committee of the province or centrally-administered city. Groups and individuals who are heads of units, Directors of Health Departments of provinces or centrally-administered cities must have written agreement from the Ministry of Health. If a unit under local jurisdiction wishes to recommend to the Ministry of Health for submission to the State, it must have written agreement from the People's Committee of the province or centrally-administered city.

3. Files for commendation:

The files for commendation include:

- A report from the head of the unit accompanied by a list of individuals and groups nominated for the Hero Laborer title.

- Written agreements from the People's Committee of the province or centrally-administered city or the Ministry of Health as specified above.

- A summary report of the achievements of the group or individual nominated for the Hero Laborer title, confirmed by the head and the Chairman of the Trade Union of the unit (note to highlight prominent achievements over the past ten years - individual reports should not exceed four pages and group reports should not exceed six pages).

- Minutes of the meeting and ballot counting of the unit's Commendation and Reward Council, and minutes of the ballot counting of the staff meeting where the individual or group being endorsed as a Hero Laborer works (signed by the chairperson and secretary).

4. Deadline for submitting commendation files:

The Party and State will consider and confer the Hero Laborer title in two rounds:

Round I: Ministries, sectors, and localities shall submit reports and files to the Institute for Commendation and Reward of the State no later than December 31, 1999, to be timely submitted to the State for consideration and conferment during the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam (February 3, 2000).

Round II: Ministries, sectors, and localities shall submit reports and files to the Institute for Commendation and Reward of the State no later than June 30, 2000, for the State to consider and confer during the September 2nd anniversary (September 2, 2000).

The Ministry of Health plans to organize a full-scale competition in the health sector during the period of renewal on the occasion of the 110th birthday of Uncle Ho (May 19, 2000). Therefore, units in the sector must submit commendation files to the Ministry no later than October 30, 1999, to be timely submitted to the State for consideration and conferment in the first round. Commendation recommendation files should be sent to the Legal Affairs Department of the Ministry of Health, five copies each.

After this round, the review and recommendation for the conferment of the Hero Laborer title during the period of renewal should be carried out regularly immediately after achieving particularly outstanding achievements.

When examining commendation recommendations, attention should be paid to small groups within units, primary healthcare, and individuals in difficult areas who have successfully completed their assigned tasks despite difficulties.

For health sectors, the establishment of commendation files and submission to higher authorities according to the main managing ministry requires written agreement and concurrence by the Ministry of Health.

The Sixth National Model Worker Congress at the end of 2000 was a particularly important event following fifteen years since the Fifth National Hero and Model Worker Congress (1986) and welcoming the twenty-first century. The Ministry of Health requests the heads of healthcare units throughout the sector to promptly and carefully direct and implement to timely encourage the staff of the healthcare sector to further improve their work in caring for and protecting the health of the people.

The process of recognizing the title of Model Worker at the ministry level and national level shall be carried out according to the procedures and formalities stipulated in this Circular and Circular No. 2182/YT-PC dated April 10, 1999 issued by the Ministry of Health. The criteria for Model Workers have been defined in Decree No. 56/1998/NĐ-CP dated July 30, 1998 of the Government.

In recent years, the election of Model Workers has not been consistent (due to general circumstances); however, if an individual meets the criteria and is deemed worthy, the unit may propose to the superior authority for special consideration.

During the implementation of this Circular, if there are any unclear issues, they should be promptly reported to the Ministry of Health (Legal Department).