Resources for COVID-19 fight under review hinh anh 1At the meeting (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The management, use and payment of resources for COVID-19 prevention and control work have basically followed guidelines and policies, the National Assembly's supervisory team reported to the 15th National Assembly's plenary session on May 29 morning. 

Presenting the report, deputy head of the team Nguyen Thuy Anh said over 236 trillion VND (10.2 billion USD) were raised for pandemic prevention and control as of December 31, 2022, more than 189 trillion VND of which were from the State budget and the remainder from other sources, mostly vaccines.

The COVID-19 vaccine fund raised over 15.1 trillion VND. The total doses of vaccines supplied by donors was nearly 160 million, about 150 million of which were from governments with a total value of approximately 24 trillion VND. Millions of volunteers, especially medical workers and military officers were on the frontline of the pandemic response. People from walks of life, business community, governments and international organisations offered material donations and other forms of support to the COVID-19 fight.

The allocated funding and aid resources were promptly distributed to units which generally used them in line with regulations. 

According to her, from January 2020 to January 2023, the NA issued six resolutions, the NA Standing Committee issued 12 resolutions, the Government adopted 14 decrees and 23 resolutions, and the Prime Minister issued 35 decisions and hundreds of documents to direct pandemic prevention and control work, not to mention documents of ministries, sectors, People's Councils and People's Committees of provinces and cities. 

At the same time, the supervisory team pointed out outstanding problems in the work, saying that the current legal system fails to regulate all arising issues and situations during the pandemic and those arising issues have not been handled promptly. The management and coordination of social resources showed many limitations, resulting in low efficiency. Besides, a number of serious wrongdoings have been found in the mobilisation, management and use of resources.  

Resources for COVID-19 fight under review hinh anh 2NA Vice Chairman Nguyen Khac Dinh speaks at the meeting (Photo: VNA)

Regarding grassroots health care, the supervisory team highlighted the expansion of the network of grassroots health care facilities nationwide, contributing to many achievements of Vietnam in health care such as the control of SARS and A(H1N1) as well as COVID-19.

The team, however, said investment in grassroots health care and preventive medicine has failed to meet requirements.

The team proposed solutions to the problems, suggesting the legislature issue a resolution on the need to amend and supplement existing laws, or build new laws related to grassroots and preventive health care, civil defence, and state of emergency./.

VNA