New resolution introduced to address medical equipment and drug shortage. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Experts have welcomed new plans toaddress challenges in the procurement and bidding for drugs and medicalequipment.
The move comes as the country is facing a number of issues overshortages of crucial medical supplies.
Resolution No. 30/2023/NQ-CP aims to immediately mitigate thebottlenecks in supply and demand, ensuring better, faster and quality servicesat medical facilities.
It will also help identify the responsibilities and obligations ofstakeholders in healthcare.
One of the solutions it will ensure is that health insurance willcontinue to cover medical treatment and examination expenses, applying toservices using equipment provided by bid-winning contractors.
This will run until the end of the contract term for those signedbefore November 5, 2022, including direct purchases. Contracts signed from thisdate onwards will have expenses covered until the new regulation is introduced.
In the case where contracts have expired, expenses will continueto be covered until the materials and chemicals bought are exhausted.
The resolution stated that bid-winning contractors are responsibleto provide medical equipment according to the demand of the investor, as wellas the technical services performed with these machines which are covered byhealth insurance.
The document also allows the use of equipment that is donated,gifted or provided as aid from individuals and organisations at home or abroad,or is part of joint programmes of which the contract expired, but has notfinished the process of becoming public assets.
The expenses for services performed on these devices are coveredby the health insurance fund.
Medical facilities are responsible for the service quality andwill use their own budget for maintenance and repair of the machinery duringusage.
The document also allows piloting the guideline on building thebid package pricing this year.
Depending on the needs of the medical facility, its scientificcouncil will draft the required functions and technical specifications of theequipment. This will then be used for invitation for quotation, in order todetermine the bid package pricing.
The reference for the market price is based on the quotation ofsuppliers, which can be obtained by publishing the invitation for bid, for aminimum 10 days, to either the e-portal of the health ministry, the publicservice portal on medical equipment management at https://dmec.moh.gov.vn,or others according to the regulations on bidding.
The bid package pricing is then built based on the quotationsreceived.
The investor is also allowed to take a quote directly from thesupplier, in the case when there is only one supplier who can ensure technicalcompatibility and copyright that cannot be obtained by others.
The pricing is then identified based on the technical features ofthe device, usage needs and financial capacity of the facility.
Price appraisals will be conducted by authorised businesses orState agencies, as per the Law on Prices.
Director of Bach Mai Hospital Dao Xuan Co said that the resolutionhas promptly resolved the key urgent issues in the shortage of medical suppliesrecently.
Sharing the same perspectives, Director of Viet Duc (Vietnam -Germany) Friendship Hospital Tran Binh Giang praised the decision to put to usedonated equipment and devices from expired joint contracts, with expensescovered by health insurance.
He said: “This has basically resolved the lack of medicalequipment and devices to respond to people’s needs in healthcare.”
Giang added that according to the new resolution, there are onlyone to two quotations required to build the bid package pricing, instead ofthree in the past.
In the case where there are multiple types of the same device, ascientific council will select the one with the most suitable attributes,instead of the lowest priced, he said.
“In the near future, new legal documents are introduced so thatstakeholders can act upon this resolution,” he added.
“Hopefully then the regulations can be even more practical.”/.
Resolution No. 30/2023/NQ-CP aims to immediately mitigate thebottlenecks in supply and demand, ensuring better, faster and quality servicesat medical facilities.
It will also help identify the responsibilities and obligations ofstakeholders in healthcare.
One of the solutions it will ensure is that health insurance willcontinue to cover medical treatment and examination expenses, applying toservices using equipment provided by bid-winning contractors.
This will run until the end of the contract term for those signedbefore November 5, 2022, including direct purchases. Contracts signed from thisdate onwards will have expenses covered until the new regulation is introduced.
In the case where contracts have expired, expenses will continueto be covered until the materials and chemicals bought are exhausted.
The resolution stated that bid-winning contractors are responsibleto provide medical equipment according to the demand of the investor, as wellas the technical services performed with these machines which are covered byhealth insurance.
The document also allows the use of equipment that is donated,gifted or provided as aid from individuals and organisations at home or abroad,or is part of joint programmes of which the contract expired, but has notfinished the process of becoming public assets.
The expenses for services performed on these devices are coveredby the health insurance fund.
Medical facilities are responsible for the service quality andwill use their own budget for maintenance and repair of the machinery duringusage.
The document also allows piloting the guideline on building thebid package pricing this year.
Depending on the needs of the medical facility, its scientificcouncil will draft the required functions and technical specifications of theequipment. This will then be used for invitation for quotation, in order todetermine the bid package pricing.
The reference for the market price is based on the quotation ofsuppliers, which can be obtained by publishing the invitation for bid, for aminimum 10 days, to either the e-portal of the health ministry, the publicservice portal on medical equipment management at https://dmec.moh.gov.vn,or others according to the regulations on bidding.
The bid package pricing is then built based on the quotationsreceived.
The investor is also allowed to take a quote directly from thesupplier, in the case when there is only one supplier who can ensure technicalcompatibility and copyright that cannot be obtained by others.
The pricing is then identified based on the technical features ofthe device, usage needs and financial capacity of the facility.
Price appraisals will be conducted by authorised businesses orState agencies, as per the Law on Prices.
Director of Bach Mai Hospital Dao Xuan Co said that the resolutionhas promptly resolved the key urgent issues in the shortage of medical suppliesrecently.
Sharing the same perspectives, Director of Viet Duc (Vietnam -Germany) Friendship Hospital Tran Binh Giang praised the decision to put to usedonated equipment and devices from expired joint contracts, with expensescovered by health insurance.
He said: “This has basically resolved the lack of medicalequipment and devices to respond to people’s needs in healthcare.”
Giang added that according to the new resolution, there are onlyone to two quotations required to build the bid package pricing, instead ofthree in the past.
In the case where there are multiple types of the same device, ascientific council will select the one with the most suitable attributes,instead of the lowest priced, he said.
“In the near future, new legal documents are introduced so thatstakeholders can act upon this resolution,” he added.
“Hopefully then the regulations can be even more practical.”/.
VNA
