Ensure the supply of medicines and medical supplies for medical examination and treatment under health insurance

The document clearly stated that, through the monitoring work of Vietnam Social Security and the feedback of patients, at a number of health insurance examination and treatment facilities, there was a situation of not providing timely and adequate medicine and medical supplies to serve patients, especially essential medicines in the list of medicines covered by health insurance participants. To ensure the rights of health insurance patients, Vietnam Social Security requested the Social Security of the provinces to coordinate with the Department of Health and medical examination and treatment facilities.health insuranceImmediately implement the following contents:

On bidding for procurement and supply of health insurance drugs

The first,Monitor the progress of drug bidding for each centralized bidding package, supplementary bidding at the Department of Health, medical examination and treatment facilities to promptly give opinions, avoid slow bidding leading to lack of drugs for treatment and drug procurement not in accordance with the law.

Monday,Participate effectively in the process of selecting drug suppliers at the Bidding Councils to select contractors with sufficient capacity to supply drugs that ensure quality, savings and efficiency, meeting treatment requirements according to the instructions of Vietnam Social Security.

Many parents bring their children to Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital for examination and treatment during the hot summer days. Photo courtesy of Thanh Chung

Tuesday,Coordinate with the Department of Health to direct and guide medical examination and treatment facilities in the area to immediately have solutions to promptly and adequately supply medicines and medical supplies to treat health insurance patients, ensuring proper implementation of the responsibilities of medical examination and treatment facilities as prescribed in Point b, Clause 2, Article 21 of Decree No. 146/2018/ND-CP dated October 17, 2018 of the Government detailing and guiding a number of articles of the Law on Health Insurance: "Ensure the supply of medicines, chemicals, medical supplies and technical services appropriate to the technical professional line according to the regulations of the Minister of Health".

Wednesday,Proactively request the Department of Health and hospitals under the Ministry of Health to organize procurement bidding according to the Ministry of Health's instructions for drugs on the list of national centralized bidding, drugs that are applied to price negotiation when there are no bidding results; Timely bidding and procurement to meet treatment requirements for group 3, group 4, group 5 drugs of drugs on the list of national centralized drug bidding according to the decentralization of the Ministry of Health. Monitor and urge the drug procurement to ensure that facilities implement at least 80% of the value of each part of the signed contract for centrally bid drugs according to the provisions of Clause 3, Article 37, Circular No. 15/2019/TT-BYT dated July 11, 2019 of the Ministry of Health regulating drug bidding at public health facilities.

On bidding for procurement and supply of medical supplies

The first,The Social Insurance of the provinces in coordination with the Department of Health requested medical examination and treatment facilities in the area to review the bidding results, the quantity of medical supplies remaining and the expected time of use up at the medical examination and treatment facilities, the expected time to complete the bidding process to develop a plan and carry out procurement bidding, ensuring adequate and timely supply of medical supplies for medical examination and treatment.

Surgery to save a critically ill patient. Photo: Document

Monday,Provincial Social Security proactively provides information on medical supplies bidding results in localities and units (posted by Vietnam Social Security on the Electronic Information page) for local medical supplies bidding councils to refer to, select types of medical supplies and develop appropriate planned prices in accordance with bidding law regulations.

Vietnam Social Security requests the Social Security of provinces to urgently organize the implementation of the above contents; monitor and promptly report to Vietnam Social Security and the Provincial People's Committee on difficulties, problems, inadequacies and proposals and recommendations in the supply of drugs and medical supplies to health insurance patients for guidance and direction.