Concerning the manpower resource, at 28 hospital of provincial level in the North, there were 1297 health technician in 5 specialtics (laboratories, anesthesia resuscitation, rehabilitation, othodontic- maxillo facial) with the ratio of 1 doctor for 0,28- 0,47 technicians, mainly at 96,5% secondary education level and very low rate of bachelor of iniversity and high education level. 26,5% of the personel staff were assigned just on their specially, 48,5% nurses were assigned as technician, 8,9% of technicians were not met their assignement. Technicians must be trained continuously and retrained professionaly.
Medical staffs ; Epidemiology ; Education

Objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has increased the workload of healthcare workers (HCWs), impacting their health. This study aimed to assess sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and identify factors associated with poor sleep among HCWs in Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 1000 frontline HCWs were recruited from various healthcare facilities in Vietnam between October 2021 and November 2021. Data were collected using a 3-part self-administered questionnaire, which covered demographics, sleep quality, and factors related to poor sleep. Poor sleep quality was defined as a total PSQI score of 5 or higher. Results: Participants’ mean age was 33.20±6.81 years (range, 20.0-61.0), and 63.0% were women. The median work experience was 8.54±6.30 years. Approximately 6.3% had chronic comorbidities, such as hypertension and diabetes mellitus. About 59.5% were directly responsible for patient care and treatment, while 7.1% worked in tracing and sampling. A total of 73.8% reported poor sleep quality. Multivariate logistic regression revealed significant associations between poor sleep quality and the presence of chronic comorbidities (odds ratio [OR], 2.34; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17 to 5.24), being a frontline HCW directly involved in patient care and treatment (OR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.16 to 2.16), increased working hours (OR, 1.84; 95% CI,1.37 to 2.48), and a higher frequency of encountering critically ill and dying patients (OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.95). Conclusions The high prevalence of poor sleep among HCWs in Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic was similar to that in other countries. Working conditions should be adjusted to improve sleep quality among this population.

Objective: In Viet Nam, tuberculosis (TB) prevalence surveys revealed that approximately 98% of individuals with pulmonary TB have TB-presumptive abnormalities on chest radiographs, while 32% have no TB symptoms. This prompted the adoption of the “Double X” strategy, which combines chest radiographs and computer-aided detection with GeneXpert testing to screen for and diagnose TB among vulnerable populations. The aim of this study was to describe demographic, clinical and radiographic characteristics of symptomatic and asymptomatic Double X participants and to assess multilabel radiographic abnormalities on chest radiographs, interpreted by computer-aided detection software, as a possible tool for detecting TB-presumptive abnormalities, particularly for subclinical TB. Methods: Double X participants with TB-presumptive chest radiographs and/or TB symptoms and known risks were referred for confirmatory GeneXpert testing. The demographic and clinical characteristics of all Double X participants and the subset with confirmed TB were summarized. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression modelling was used to evaluate associations between participant characteristics and subclinical TB and between computer-aided detection multilabel radiographic abnormalities and TB. Results: From 2020 to 2022, 96 631 participants received chest radiographs, with 67 881 (70.2%) reporting no TB symptoms. Among 1144 individuals with Xpert-confirmed TB, 51.0% were subclinical. Subclinical TB prevalence was higher in older age groups, non-smokers, those previously treated for TB and the northern region. Among 11 computer-aided detection multilabel radiographic abnormalities, fibrosis was associated with higher odds of subclinical TB. Discussion: In Viet Nam, Double X community case finding detected pulmonary TB, including subclinical TB. Computer-aided detection software may have the potential to identify subclinical TB on chest radiographs by classifying multilabel radiographic abnormalities, but further research is needed.