Policy on Work Accident, Occupational Disease Insurance in Vietnam

Abstract

During the process of production activities, there are factors or incidents that affect the health of workers, such as hazardous working environments, prolonged fixed working postures, accidents caused by machinery, etc., resulting in a decrease or even permanent loss of work ability. Accidents occurring during labor or illnesses arising from work conditions incur costs for medical treatment, functional recovery, purchase of assistive devices for daily living, costs of caregivers in case of disability or severe illness, reduction or loss of income due to the inability to perform previous works, or the need to find a new job suitable for the health condition. Economic and social development has impacted the occupational risks of workers and changed the protection needs of workers against these risks. Therefore, countries, including Vietnam, have promulgated policies for workers involved in work related accidents and occupational diseases, with the cornerstone being the social insurance regime for work related accidents and occupational diseases. This writing analyzes the achieved results and limitations of the policy for workers involved in work related accidents and occupational diseases in Vietnam, and proposes solutions to improve this policy.