It aims to ensure the rights of both businesses and participants in social and health insurance system in storm and flood-hit areas, according to document 3404/BHXH-VP, issued by Viet Nam Social Security on October 27.

The documents were sent to Viet Nam Social Security’s branches in storm-and flood-hit localities of Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen and Khanh Hoa on the same day.

Under the document, heads of branches in the localities were ordered to prepare for upcoming storms and ensure safety for both people and property of the branches during the storms.

They were tasked to allocate staff on duty in the branches to receive dossiers and give payments to participants in social, unemployment and health insurance.

They also had to seriously implement the guidance on storm and flood prevention and control of authorised agencies as well as work to assist the local authority to rescue and help people in storm and flood areas, the document said.

The branches were required to apply flexible measures to collect payments of social, unemployment and health insurance. For example, the branches should dispatch staff to come and directly collect the money from participants in social, unemployment and health insurance if agents failed to collect the money due to force majeure reasons.

The branches also should direct agents to send a commitment message to the branches in case they already collected the money from the participants but had yet to send the money to the branches, so the branches will renew the cards for the participants before they received the money from agents.

The branches were advised to promote electronic transactions to collect money from the participants more conveniently, and implement handling administrative procedures via the National Public Service Portal and the Viet Nam Social Security Service Portal, the document said.

Viet Nam Social Security also ordered its branches to pay money in advance to cover medical expenses for participants of health insurance; co-operate with departments of health, health clinics and hospitals in the localities to create the most favourable conditions for the participants in examination and treatment; supply enough medicine for treatment of participants with chronic diseases; and support the participants in moving from provincial-level hospitals to central-level hospitals for further treatment if necessary.

The branches needed to closely work with local post offices to build a plan of paying pensions and allowances of social and unemployment insurance to fit with the developments of floods and storms in the localities.

The documents also said that all branches of Viet Nam Social Security in 63 provinces and cities nationwide had to strengthen measures to collect debts and increase the number of participants in order to meet the targets of the sector this year.

It was necessary to report to the Viet Nam Social Security if any unusual circumstance occurred so that the agency could issue prompt solutions, the document said./.