On August 9, 2025, two very different but equally urgent stories unfolded in Vietnam—one on the open sea, where a fisherman’s life hung in the balance, and another in the halls of government, where the future of public administration was being meticulously debated and reformed. Together, these events shed light on the country’s ongoing efforts to safeguard both the health of its citizens and the effectiveness of its state apparatus.
Just after 10:00 AM on August 9, fisherman Trần Văn Đó, a native of Thạnh Lộc commune in An Giang province, embarked on what was supposed to be a routine dive for fish. Working as a crew member on the fishing vessel QNg 90969TS, captained by Nguyễn Lên from Đông Sơn commune, Quảng Ngãi province, Trần Văn Đó descended to a depth of approximately 35 meters. The dive lasted an exhausting hour and a half—a testament to the demanding nature of his profession.
But about thirty minutes after resurfacing, things took a frightening turn. According to Nhân Dân, Đó began to experience a cascade of alarming symptoms: pain and weakness in both legs, numbness in all four limbs, a loss of sensation from the chest down, and even urinary retention. His crewmates, recognizing the seriousness of the situation, attempted immediate decompression treatment right there on the boat. Unfortunately, his condition failed to improve.
By 2:15 PM, Trần Văn Đó was urgently transferred to the Song Tử Tây Island Medical Station. There, doctors quickly diagnosed him with severe decompression sickness—specifically, a level 2 case involving neurological dysfunction at the T4-T5 spinal level. As medical experts know, this is a perilous situation: if not treated quickly and effectively, it can lead to total paralysis or even death.
The medical team wasted no time. They initiated hyperbaric oxygen therapy (protocol number 6), administered intravenous fluids, provided oxygen, inserted a urinary catheter, and gave anti-platelet drugs. Additional treatments included neurological support, pain relief, and continuous monitoring. The coordinated emergency response, which included online consultations with the Naval Medical Institute, proved decisive. By the following morning, Đó’s condition had stabilized—a relief not only to his family, but also to his fellow crew members and the wider fishing community. Such cases, while rare, highlight the dangers faced daily by those who work at sea and the critical importance of having advanced medical facilities even in remote island locations.
While frontline health workers were racing against time to save a fisherman’s life, another kind of rescue operation was underway in Vietnam’s government. On the afternoon of August 9, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Trương Hải Long addressed a nationwide online conference focused on professional training and the management of local government officials. His message was clear: it’s time for a comprehensive review and reorganization of job positions at the commune level to ensure that every official’s role matches their professional training and expertise.
“Currently, the allocation of job positions in many places remains unsuitable for the professional backgrounds of officials, civil servants, and public employees,” Deputy Minister Trương Hải Long stated, as reported by Nhân Dân. He pointed out that, in recent years, staff from higher administrative levels have been moved down to communes in a somewhat ad hoc manner. This has led to an awkward imbalance—some areas are overstaffed, while others are chronically short-handed.
To address these issues, the Ministry of Home Affairs, in coordination with other ministries and sectors, has launched a comprehensive review of job position arrangements. This initiative is designed to serve as the foundation for new staffing norms and, ultimately, a more efficient public sector. In the short term, the current structure will remain in place, but the goal is to complete a synchronized, proper allocation of job positions by 2027, fully compliant with the 2025 Law on Cadres and Civil Servants.
The Deputy Minister outlined a roadmap for reform. By the end of August 2025, all localities must submit detailed reports on job position allocations at the commune level. These reports will inform proposals to recruit new officials for urgent or missing positions, with a particular focus on digital transformation and attracting high-quality human resources. “When reorganizing, it is essential to consider both the experience and educational background of the staff, as well as policies that safeguard the rights and interests of current officials,” Trương Hải Long emphasized.
One of the most significant changes on the horizon is the introduction of job descriptions and competency frameworks for each role, tailored to the requirements, complexity, and nature of each position. According to Vũ Hải Nam, Director of the Department of Organization and Staffing at the Ministry, “Job position is now the central pillar of reforms related to civil servants, from recruitment and management to evaluation and salary.” As a result, the Ministry is designing comprehensive job descriptions and competency frameworks to ensure that every position is filled by someone with the appropriate expertise and skills.
The 2025 Law on Cadres and Civil Servants defines three primary groups of positions: leadership and management; professional and technical; and support and service. Under the proposed plan, each commune will have eight leadership and management roles and twenty professional and technical positions, distributed across various functional offices and departments. The specifics are detailed: for instance, the Office of the People’s Council and People’s Committee will have three positions covering office work, legal affairs, and external relations. The Economic Office will include seven roles in finance, planning, construction, transportation, industry and trade, agriculture, and natural resources and environment. The Socio-Cultural Office will have eight positions, spanning internal affairs, ethnic affairs, labor, education, culture, science, information, and health. There will also be a dedicated role for public administrative services and a military assistant position in the commune-level military command.
Local governments are expected to proactively determine the required professional backgrounds for each position to ensure that every official is well-matched to their duties. Depending on workload and priorities, officials may be assigned to specialized or concurrent roles, always in line with the new staffing framework set by higher authorities.
Both these stories—one of a fisherman’s dramatic rescue and another of a government’s determined push for reform—underscore the challenges and resilience of modern Vietnam. Whether it’s a medical emergency at sea or the painstaking work of bureaucratic restructuring, the country is striving to ensure that its people are cared for and its public institutions are up to the task. As these reforms and responses unfold, they offer a glimpse into the evolving landscape of Vietnamese society—where every life and every position truly matters.
With the fisherman’s health now stable and the machinery of government reform grinding on, Vietnam continues to demonstrate both compassion and commitment to progress, even in the face of adversity.