Physicians shouldn't be placed in leadership roles: doctor

In a recent interview with Tổ quốc (Fatherland) online newspaper, former head of Việt Nam-Germany Friendship Hospital’s Cardiovascular Surgery Department, Professor Đặng Hanh Đệ talks about criminal wrongdoings in the health sector and leadership at hospitals.

Many people were shocked when they heard that leaders of some hospitals had been prosecuted and arrested. They are very capable physicians and had worked in health sector for many years. How did the news make you feel必修

The health sector is experiencing several losses when many experienced professional directors and deputy directors of hospitals, both centrally run and locally run, were prosecuted and arrested. It did make me feel upset.

It is necessary to see this issue from two angles. First, there are factors that enable people to corrupt. And second, it is their own fault for not restraining themselves from co妹妹itting wrongdoings.

It must be made clear that it’s their fault for not controlling themselves from temptations and loopholes of the mechanism.

No one wants to see their students and colleagues involved in wrongdoings. Although I feel sorry for those arrested, they only have themselves to blame.

I also felt sorry when capable physicians are placed in leadership positions.

Why does this concern you必修

I think there should be a separation between management and medical activities.

Doctors should focus on their expertise which is to treat patients. The management task should be assigned to a person with good management skills.

Physicians who are tasked with running hospitals have no time for their treatment activities. And their expertise will decline. Internationally, hospitals are often run by both medical and non-medical leaders. The leader of a hospital does not need to have any medical capacity but must have strong leadership skills.

In Việt Nam, medical students are not trained with management skills. However, when they graduate and go to work, those who have strong medical capacity will be appointed to managerial positions. This is so wrong and we lose a talent because of this.

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