Healthcare access in Vietnam’s mountainous and ethnic‑minority regions depends on doctors who are willing to live far from big cities. Understanding what keeps them there helps policymakers design better support.

After graduating from Thai Binh University of Medicine in 2018, Nguyen Tien Trung returned to Muong Lat in Thanh Hoa Province and chose to stay despite offers to move to Hanoi. He now works as a doctor in the local hospital, serving the community that raised him.

Doctors in Muong Lat lack sufficient equipment and medical supplies, limiting their ability to apply training. Without proper tools, they cannot fully use the skills they have learned.

Decree No. 350/2026/ND-CP provides occupational preferential allowances, including an 80 percent allowance for public employees performing professional healthcare duties at commune‑level stations in border, island and ethnic‑minority areas. Decree No. 192/2026/ND-CP adds special allowances and raises monthly support for village health workers and midwives to 0.5 and 0.7 times the statutory base salary.

Son La aims to attract up to 225 doctors and pharmacists between 2026 and 2030, offering one‑time support based on qualifications, expertise and training results. Quang Tri’s 2026‑2030 policy gives higher allowances to doctors recruited to health stations in Category III and Category II areas with ethnic‑minority communities and mountainous terrain.

“Retaining doctors requires us to address income, working conditions and opportunities for professional development at the same time,” said Le Lan Huong, deputy head of the Personnel Department at the Ministry of Health. The combination of better pay, adequate equipment and career growth is essential for keeping doctors in remote, disadvantaged areas.