Decision No. 50/2008/QD-BYT on the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Department of Maternal and Child Health under the Ministry of Health

Pursuant to …;

Regulations on the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Maternal and Child Health Department under the Ministry of Health

THE MINISTER OF HEALTH

Pursuant to Decree No. 178/2007/NĐ-CP dated December 3, 2007 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of ministries and ministerial-level agencies;

Pursuant to Decree No. 188/2007/NĐ-CP dated December 27, 2007 of the Government on the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Health;

Considering the proposal of the Director of the Personnel Organization Department and the Director of the Maternal and Child Health Department, Ministry of Health.

DECISION:

Article 1. Position and Functions

The Maternal and Child Health Department is a specialized department under the Ministry of Health, assisting the Minister of Health in performing state management functions in the field of reproductive health care including: maternal health, child health, andrology, prevention of malnutrition in children, adolescent and youth reproductive health, elderly reproductive health; clinical technical services for contraception, prevention of sexually transmitted infections and reproductive tract cancers, safe abortion, gender reassignment, and scientific childbirth methods throughout the country.

b) Draft five-year and annual socio-economic development plans for the province; major economic and social balances for the province; draft five-year and annual plans, programs, projects, measures to organize and implement tasks related to socio-economic development, finance-budget, planning-investment, and other tasks within the scope of state management of the Department of Finance as prescribed by law;

1. Take the lead in drafting and participating in drafting normative legal documents, strategies, policies, planning, and programs in the field of reproductive health care as assigned, and submit them to the Minister of Health for issuance or to the Minister for submission to the competent authority for issuance.

2. Take the lead in drafting national standards on reproductive health care and submit them to the competent authority for promulgation; draft regulations on technical stratification, professional rules, and national technical standards on reproductive health care services, maternal health, child health, prevention of malnutrition in children, adolescent and youth reproductive health, elderly reproductive health, and clinical technical services for contraception, prevention of sexually transmitted infections and reproductive tract cancers, safe abortion, gender reassignment, and scientific childbirth methods, and submit them to the Minister of Health for issuance.

3. Participate in drafting the development plan for the network of reproductive health care and maternal and child health services throughout the country.

4. Take the lead in drafting the content and directing, guiding the implementation of professional advisory work and behavior change communication in the field of reproductive health care.

5. Direct, guide, and participate in compiling guidance materials and training materials for healthcare staff on the procedures for providing reproductive health care services. Participate in retraining and upgrading healthcare staff and other individuals working in the field of reproductive health care.

6. Guide, organize the implementation, monitor, inspect, and evaluate the implementation of normative legal documents, strategies, policies, planning, professional rules, national technical standards, and programs, projects, models related to reproductive health care according to the assignment of the Minister of Health.

7. Serve as the focal point for reviewing and submitting to the Minister of Health for approval the permission for healthcare facilities to perform medical interventions for gender reassignment and recognize healthcare facilities meeting the conditions to implement scientific childbirth techniques (in vitro fertilization, artificial insemination) in accordance with the law.

8. Implement and participate in scientific research activities and international cooperation in the field of reproductive health care in accordance with the law.

9. Perform other tasks assigned by the Minister of Health.

Article 3. Organization and Operation.

1. Leadership of the Department

The Director and Deputy Directors of the Department are appointed and relieved from duty by the Minister of Health. The Director is responsible to the Minister of Health and to the law for all activities of the Department. The Deputy Directors assist the Director and are responsible to the Director and to the law for the tasks assigned to them.

2. Quota

The staffing of the Department is determined by the decision of the Minister of Health and is adjusted annually based on work needs and the proposal of the Director of Maternal and Child Health.

3. Operational Mechanism

The Department of Maternal and Child Health operates under a specialist system. Civil servants in the Department are responsible to the leadership of the Department for the tasks assigned to them.

Article 4. Effective date

This Decision takes effect fifteen days after its publication in the Official Gazette.

Article 5. Responsibilities for Implementation

The Heads of the Office of the Ministry, the Inspector General of the Ministry, the Directors of Departments, the Directors of Bureaus, the Directors-General of the General Departments of the Ministry of Health, the Heads of relevant agencies, organizations, and individuals are responsible for implementing this Decision./.