VietNamNet Bridge – Medical experts say a shortage of public health professionals is creating major difficulties in dealing with mental disorders among Vietnamese adolescents.


A doctor provides a health check-up for a child at the Nho Quan District Hospital. A shortage of public health human resources is one of the challenges for the health sector. (Photo: VNS)
"Young people with mental health problems at schools have no support or counselling or emergency help," said Professor Michael Dunne from QueenslandTechnology on the sideline of the National Conference of the Viet Nam Public Health Association held here yesterday, April 27. University of Dunne said no teachers had been trained or nurses provided to care for young people throughout in the country.


"Mental health has not yet been a focus at schools," he said, adding "Viet Nam needs to pay more attention to improving mental health at schools as disorders are becoming increasingly common."


A University of Public Health survey conducted recently on 6,189 students at high schools and universities in Ha Noi, HCM City, Hai Duong Province and Can Tho showed symptoms of depression among Vietnamese youth were similar to those among young people in Western and other Asian countries.


Symptoms included long periods of sadness, negative thinking and a feeling of worthlessness.


One out of six or seven questioned said they were sad, hopeless and worthless when compared with their peers. They cried, did not sleep well and lost their appetites.


According to the surveys, an average of between five and seven students in every class had similar problems.


Dunne said a specially trained workforce, including public health nurses with mental health skills and psychologists, should be provided at schools to help students.


He said the availability of trained public health workers was important to handle the problems.


Viet Nam is considered to be among five countries in Southeast Asia seriously deficient in medical workers.


It is far below the World Health Organisation standard of 2.28 doctors, sanatorium staff and midwives per 1,000 people.


The Vietnamese figure is only about 1.6 per 1,000. Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos and Thailand share the same plight.

In an attempt to fill the gap, Viet Nam has increased the enrolment of students from rural and mountain areas to medical colleges and universities.


It has also sent medical workers from urban areas to deprived regions, but much remains to be done.


Another subject that arose at the public health conference was the shortage of researchers and fund to investigate the evaluation of food suspected of being unhygienic.


Viet Nam Food Administration Director Nguyen Cong Khan said food poisoning and food-borne diseases could be complicated issues.


VietNamNet/Viet Nam News