Assoc. Prof. Dr. Luong Ngoc Khue, Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment under the health ministry, said that as of March 7, Vietnam confirmed more than 4.43 million cases of COVID-19 in 63 provinces and cities. In seven days from February 27 to March 6, on average, Vietnam recorded 117,379 cases of COVID-19 daily.

Among them, nearly 99 per cent of the cases were treated at home. Therefore, the need for a certificate of COVID-19 infection for the patients to enjoy benefits, particularly to take social insurance benefits during their leave due to COVID-19, is very high.

However, in some localities, employees who are infected with COVID-19 and undergo home treatment have been facing difficulties when applying for a certificate of leave for sickness benefits because of cumbersome and time-consuming administrative procedures.

Under current regulations, the issuance of this certificate is done by medical examination and treatment facilities. The majority of employees who get COVID-19 are only issued with a certificate of completion of isolation or completion of COVID-19 treatment at home, issued by the local government or the commune health department. Employees cannot use this certification to carry out procedures for social insurance benefits.

People who tested positive for COVID-19 by themselves apply for a quarantine decision, a certificate of leave to enjoy social insurance in Hoang Liet Ward in Ha Noi’s Hai Ba Trung District. Photo: Express

As the number of COVID-19 patients going to local health stations to obtain a certificate of COVID-19 infection is very high, the grassroots medical system in many places became overcrowded and faced a risk of disease spreading.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Luong Ngoc Khue, Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment said that to solve this problem, the Ministry of Health’s representatives met with their counterparts at Vietnam Social Security, the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, departments and agencies of the Ministry of Health to review legal documents related to the issuance of certificates of social insurance benefits. They assessed and discussed problems, analysed the causes and proposed solutions to ensure the interests of employees participating in social insurance when suffering from COVID-19.

The Ministry of Health proposed that the Government issue a Resolution recognising seven types of documents to use as a basis for making dossiers of enjoying sickness benefits for employees infected with COVID-19.

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The seven papers include a decision to isolate at home issued by the local government; a certificate of completion of the quarantine period issued by the local government; positive rapid or PCR test results for COVID-19, issued by a medical facility; confirmation of being infected with COVID-19 from either the Commune Health Station, Mobile Medical Station, Community COVID Team or medical agency/enterprise; and a certificate of leave to enjoy social insurance issued by the commune health station or mobile medical station.

The two other papers include a decision of completing concentrated medical isolation and confirmation COVID-19 treatment at field hospitals.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Luong Ngoc Khue, Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment also said that the seven papers were not specified in the Law on Social Insurance, the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment and other relevant legal documents. Therefore, the Ministry of Health does not have a legal basis to include the guidance in the Draft Circular amending and supplementing Circular No 56/2017/TT-BYT./.