Circular No. 33/2015/TT-BYT guiding the functions and tasks of commune health stations

CIRCULAR

Guidelines on the functions and tasks of Health Stations at communes, wards, and towns

This Circular prescribes procedures for receiving, providing health care for domestic violence victims and statistical reports on domestic violence victims at medical facilities.

Pursuant to Decree No. 117/2014/NĐ-CP dated December 8, 2014 of the Government on commune, ward, and town health;

The phrase "or examination" is abolished pursuant to Clause 6, Article 8 of Circular No. 15/2025/TT-BVHTTDL dated November 25, 2025, of the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism amending and supplementing certain articles of Circulars prescribing job codes, qualification standards, and salary grades for civil servants in the heritage culture, library, grassroots cultural activities, sports, fine arts, art performance, film, and cultural propaganda sectors, which takes effect from January 15, 2026.

The Minister of Health issues this Circular guiding the functions and tasks of Health Stations at communes, wards, and towns.

Article 1. Functions

1. Health Stations at communes, wards, and towns (hereinafter referred to as Commune Health Stations) have the function of providing and implementing primary healthcare services for the people in their respective communes.

2. Commune Health Stations shall have their own office premises and seals for transactions and professional work.

Article 2. Tasks

1. Implementing professional activities and techniques:

a) In preventive healthcare:

- Implementing professional activities and techniques related to vaccination;

- Monitoring and implementing technical measures to prevent and control infectious diseases, HIV/AIDS, non-communicable diseases, and diseases of unknown origin; promptly detecting and reporting such diseases and epidemics;

- Providing guidance on environmental hygiene, risk factors affecting health in the community; preventing and controlling accidents and injuries, building safe communities; school health; and community nutrition according to the law;

- Participating in inspections, monitoring, and implementing activities related to food safety in the commune according to the law.

b) In medical examination and treatment; combining and applying traditional medicine in disease prevention and treatment:

- Conducting initial emergency care and resuscitation;

- Organizing medical examinations, treatments, and rehabilitation according to the technical tier system and the scope of professional activities prescribed by the law;

- Combining traditional medicine with modern medicine in medical examinations and treatments using both drug and non-drug methods; applying and inheriting effective experiences, prescriptions, and treatment methods, preserving valuable medicinal plants locally in the care of public health;

- Participating in preliminary military service medical examinations;

c) In reproductive health care:

- Implementing professional activities and techniques related to pregnancy management; supporting normal childbirth;

- Performing professional techniques in maternal and child health care according to the technical tier system and the scope of professional activities prescribed by the law.

d) In essential drug supply:

- Managing drug and vaccine sources allocated according to regulations;

- Providing guidance on the safe, rational, and effective use of drugs;

- Developing model herbal gardens suitable for local conditions.

đ) In community health management:

- Implementing household health management, elderly health management, and health management for individuals with infectious diseases, diseases of unknown origin, non-communicable diseases, and chronic diseases;

- Cooperating in school health management.

e) In health communication and education:

- Providing information related to diseases and epidemics; vaccinations; issues that may affect community health, and promoting preventive measures;

- Organizing campaigns, counseling, and mobilizing the masses to participate in health care, protection, and improvement of public health; population and family planning programs.

2. Guidance on professional activities and operations for village health workers:

a) Proposing to the District Health Centers about the recruitment and management of village health workers;

b) Providing guidance on professional and technical tasks for village health workers engaged in primary healthcare and midwifery according to the law;

c) Organizing regular meetings and participating in training courses and seminars for village health workers according to the tiered system.

3. Cooperating with relevant agencies to implement population and family planning programs; providing family planning services according to the technical tier system and the law;

4. Participating in inspections of private medical and pharmaceutical practices and services that may affect public health:

a) Participating and cooperating with competent authorities in inspecting and supervising private medical and pharmaceutical practices and services that may affect public health in the commune;

b) Identifying and reporting to the competent authority on violations of health laws, entities and individuals providing unsafe food and health environments in the commune.

5. Serving as the permanent body of the commune-level health care committee for protecting, caring for, and improving public health in the commune:

a) Drafting plans for health care activities, identifying health issues, prioritizing health issues in the commune, submitting them to the People's Committee Chairman for approval, and serving as the focal point for organizing and implementing the approved plan;

b) Drafting plans for implementing professional activities and techniques related to primary healthcare for the people in the commune, submitting them to the District Health Center Director for approval, and organizing and implementing the approved plan.

6. Implementing civil-military cooperation based on local conditions.

7. Being responsible for managing human resources, finance, and assets of the unit according to assigned duties and legal provisions.

8. Implementing statistical and reporting systems according to legal provisions.

9. Fulfilling other tasks assigned by the District Health Center Director and the People's Committee Chairman.

Based on the conditions and capabilities of each Health Station, the District Health Center shall propose to the Provincial Department of Health to specify the specific tasks related to medical examinations and treatments under Point b, reproductive health care under Point c Clause 1, and the tasks specified in Clause 6 of this Article for Health Stations in the area to meet the needs of public health care according to the law and the Ministry of Health.

Article 3. Organization and Human Resources

1. Organization:

a) A Health Station at the commune level shall have a Station Director and one Deputy Station Director;

b) Staff working at the Commune Health Station shall be responsible for managing their respective fields of work according to the assignment of the Station Director, ensuring the implementation of the tasks of the Health Station as stipulated in Article 2 of this Circular;

c) The appointment, removal of the Station Director and Deputy Station Director, and the rotation and transfer of staff working at the Commune Health Station shall be decided by the Director of the District Health Center within the scope of authority and local administrative management levels.

2. Human Resources: The structure of occupational titles and the number of staff for each occupational title working at the Commune Health Station shall be determined based on actual needs, workload, and the characteristics and socio-economic conditions of the commune where the Health Station is located.

Article 4. Relationships

1. The Commune Health Station is a health unit under the District Health Center, subject to comprehensive management and direct operation by the Director of the District Health Center.

2. The Commune Health Station shall be led and directed by the Chairman of the People's Committee at the commune level in carrying out its tasks as prescribed by law.

3. The Commune Health Station shall cooperate with political and social organizations at the commune level and village chiefs in organizing and implementing activities to provide healthcare services to the population in its jurisdiction.

Article 5. Effective Date

1. This Circular shall take effect from December 14, 2015.

2. The provisions regarding the functions and responsibilities of the Commune Health Station, ward health station, and town health station stipulated in Circular No. 08/TT-LB dated April 20, 1995, issued by the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs, and the Personnel Department of the Government guiding certain issues concerning the organization and policy benefits for grassroots healthcare shall be abolished from the date this Circular takes effect.

Article 6. Responsibility for Implementation

1. The People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities shall instruct the Provincial Health Departments to organize and implement this Circular in their respective localities.

2. In the course of implementation, if any issues arise, difficulties or obstacles occur, the Provincial Health Departments of provinces and centrally-administered cities shall promptly report them to the Ministry of Health (through the Department of Personnel and Organization) for consideration and resolution within their authority./.