Decision No. 56/2010/QĐ-TTg On the establishment, organization, and operation of the Anti-Epidemic Steering Committee at all levels

Pursuant to …;

Regarding the establishment, organization, and operation of the

Steering Committee for Disease Control at all levels

__________________

PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the Government dated December 25, 2001;

Pursuant to Article 46 of the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases dated November 21, 2007;
Considering the proposal of the Minister of Health,

DECISION:

Article 1. Time and authority to establish the Steering Committee for Disease Control at all levels

1. Within twenty-four hours from the date of declaration of an epidemic by the competent authority as stipulated in Clause 2, Article 38 of the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases, the Steering Committee for Disease Control at all levels must be established.

2. The authority to establish the Steering Committee for Disease Control at all levels is specified as follows:

a) The Prime Minister decides to establish the National Steering Committee for Disease Control upon the proposal of the Minister of Health;

b) The Chairman of the People's Committee of provinces and centrally governed cities (hereinafter referred to as provincial level) decides to establish the Provincial Steering Committee for Disease Control upon the proposal of the Director of the Department of Health;

c) The Chairman of the People's Committee of districts, towns, and cities under provinces (hereinafter referred to as district level) decides to establish the District Steering Committee for Disease Control upon the proposal of the Head of the District Health Office;

d) The Chairman of the People's Committee of communes, wards, and towns (hereinafter referred to as commune level) decides to establish the Commune Steering Committee for Disease Control upon the proposal of the Head of the Commune Health Station.

Article 2. Organization of the Steering Committee for Disease Control at all levels

1. Members of the Steering Committee for Disease Control as prescribed in Clause 2, Article 46 of the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases.

2. Sub-committees for Disease Control are specified as follows:

a) At the national and provincial levels, there are sub-committees for Surveillance, Treatment, Propaganda, and Logistics. The Chairperson of the Steering Committee for Disease Control decides specifically on the composition, tasks, and activities of these Sub-committees for Disease Control;

b) At the district and commune levels: The Chairperson of the Steering Committee for Disease Control decides to establish or not establish Sub-committees for Disease Control and assigns specific tasks to members to carry out disease control tasks.

3. The permanent office of the Steering Committee is located at the health agency of the same level and is managed by the head of that health agency.

Article 3. Principles of Operation of the Steering Committee for Disease Control at all levels

1. The Steering Committee for Disease Control operates on a collective basis.

2. Members of the Steering Committee for Disease Control operate on a concurrent basis.

3. Members of the Steering Committee for Disease Control at all levels are responsible for using their unit's organizational structure to perform assigned tasks according to the division of labor by the Chairperson of the Steering Committee for Disease Control and using seals managed by their units.

4. The Steering Committee for Disease Control at all levels dissolves itself after completing its mission.

Article 4. Tasks of the Steering Committee for Disease Control at all levels

1. The Steering Committee for Disease Control at all levels has the task of organizing and implementing disease prevention and control activities as provided for in Articles 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, and 55 of the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases.

2. The Chairperson of the Steering Committee for Disease Control at all levels has the following tasks:

a) Organizing the implementation of disease control tasks and being responsible to the same-level government for all disease control activities;

b) Approving, organizing, and implementing disease control plans, proposing special measures during the epidemic period;

c) Assigning and supervising the performance of tasks by Deputy Chairpersons and members of the Steering Committee for Disease Control;

d) Establishing mobile disease control teams as stipulated in Clause 3, Article 46 of the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases.

3. Deputy Chairpersons and members of the Steering Committee for Disease Control have the task of assisting the Chairperson of the Steering Committee and being responsible to the Chairperson of the Steering Committee for the areas and tasks assigned to them.

Article 5. Functions, tasks, and composition of the Epidemic Control Subcommittees

1. The Epidemic Control Subcommittees have the function of advising and assisting the Head of the Epidemic Control Steering Committee in implementing the prevention and control tasks of the Steering Committee regarding infectious disease surveillance, treatment of patients with infectious diseases, epidemic prevention and control propaganda, and logistical preparation for epidemic control.

2. The tasks and composition of the Epidemic Control Subcommittees are specified as follows:

a) The Surveillance Subcommittee has the task of monitoring the development of the epidemic to propose and directly organize the implementation of measures to control the spread of the disease. The Head of the Surveillance Subcommittee is the representative of the leadership of the health preventive agency at the same level. Members of the subcommittee include representatives from agencies related to disease surveillance activities, decided by the Head of the Epidemic Control Steering Committee based on the proposal of the Head of the Surveillance Subcommittee;

b) The Treatment Subcommittee has the task of classifying, admitting, isolating, and treating patients with infectious diseases. The Head of the Treatment Subcommittee is the representative of the leadership of the agency or unit responsible for infectious disease diagnosis and treatment at the same level. Members of the subcommittee include representatives from agencies related to the treatment of infectious disease patients, decided by the Head of the Epidemic Control Steering Committee based on the proposal of the Head of the Treatment Subcommittee;

c) The Propaganda Subcommittee has the task of providing information and propaganda about the epidemic situation and anti-epidemic measures. The Head of the Propaganda Subcommittee is the representative of the leadership of the agency or unit responsible for communication at the same level. Members of the subcommittee include representatives from agencies related to epidemic prevention and control propaganda activities, decided by the Head of the Epidemic Control Steering Committee based on the proposal of the Head of the Propaganda Subcommittee;

d) The Logistics Subcommittee has the task of allocating and managing the use of funds for epidemic control. The Head of the Logistics Subcommittee is the representative of the leadership of the agency or unit responsible for finance at the same level. Members of the subcommittee include representatives from agencies related to logistics activities for epidemic prevention and control, decided by the Head of the Epidemic Control Steering Committee based on the proposal of the Head of the Logistics Subcommittee.

Article 6. Functions and Tasks of the Permanent Office of the Steering Committee

1. The Permanent Office of the Steering Committee is the advisory and direct assistance body for the Epidemic Control Steering Committee and the Head of the Epidemic Control Steering Committee.

2. The Permanent Office of the Steering Committee is responsible for:

a) Serving as the focal point for compiling plans and reports on epidemic prevention and control;

b) Monitoring the implementation of epidemic prevention and control tasks according to the directives of the Steering Committee and the Head of the Epidemic Control Steering Committee;

c) Advising the Head of the Epidemic Control Steering Committee on coordinating the activities of subcommittees under the Steering Committee and the Mobile Epidemic Control Team;

3. The Permanent Office of the Steering Committee is responsible for ensuring the operational conditions of the Epidemic Control Steering Committee, using its own organizational structure to implement the tasks of the Epidemic Control Steering Committee.

Article 7. Tasks of the Mobile Epidemic Control Team

1. Investigating, identifying epidemics, analyzing their development trends and patterns.

2. Discovering, rescuing, and treating patients with infectious diseases on-site, transferring patients with infectious diseases to medical facilities.

3. Implementing preventive and control measures in epidemic areas concerning isolation, hygiene, disinfection, decontamination, and other tasks assigned by the Head of the Epidemic Control Steering Committee.

Article 8. Operating funds of the Anti-Epidemic Steering Committee at all levels

The operating funds for the Anti-Epidemic Steering Committees at all levels shall be guaranteed by the state budget and allocated within the regular operating funds of the agencies assigned the permanent tasks of the Anti-Epidemic Steering Committees at all levels according to the current state classification and other legitimate sources of funding as prescribed by law.

Article 9. Effective Date

This Decision shall take effect from November 1, 2010.

Article 10. Responsibility for Implementation

THE MINISTERS, HEADS OF GOVERNMENT-LEVEL MINISTRIES, HEADS OF GOVERNMENT-LEVEL AGENCIES, AND CHAIRMEN OF PROVINCE AND CITY PEOPLE'S COMMITTEES DIRECTLY UNDER THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ENFORCING THIS DECISION./.