The provincial National Assembly delegation worked with provincial departments and branches on mobilizing, managing and using resources to prevent and fight Covid-19.

Working scene. Photo: Mai Hoa

Mobilizing more than 3,200 billion VND to serve the prevention and control of Covid-19 epidemic

Comrades: Thai Thi An Chung - Member of the Provincial Party Executive Committee, Deputy Head of the DelegationNational Assembly Delegationprovince, Deputy Head of the Supervisory Delegation; Tran Nhat Minh - Member of the National Assembly's Law Committee, full-time National Assembly delegate, Deputy Head of the Supervisory Delegation co-chaired the meeting.

According to reports from departments and branches, mobilizing resources to serve epidemic prevention and control workCovid - 19In general, supporting people facing difficulties due to the Covid-19 pandemic in particular has been implemented by Party committees, authorities, the Fatherland Front, and organizations and unions from the provincial to grassroots levels, creating a combined strength to effectively prevent, fight and control the pandemic.

Comrade Nguyen Van Thuong - Deputy Director of the Department of Health reported on the implementation of policies to mobilize and use resources for Covid-19 prevention and control and policies on grassroots health care and preventive medicine. Photo: Mai Hoa

The total resources mobilized and allocated from the budget for Covid-19 prevention and control from 2020 to present in the province are more than 1,856 billion VND; of which, the central budget supports more than 540 billion VND; the local budget supports more than 1,316 billion VND.

In addition, the province also mobilized from socialized sources from domestic and foreign organizations and individuals in cash and in-kind equivalent to nearly VND 1,351 billion in cash including ventilators, test kits, medicines, protective clothing, disinfectants, masks, etc.; of which, cash was more than VND 175 billion.

Comrade Dau Thi Minh Loan - Deputy Director of the Department of Finance reported on resources mobilized from the budget for epidemic prevention and control. Photo: Mai Hoa

From the mobilized and allocated resources from the budget, nearly 1,694 billion VND has been spent on Covid-19 prevention and control, including funds for purchasing vaccines, medicines, medical supplies, biological products; funds for examination, emergency care, and treatment of Covid-19 patients; funds for screening, admission, and medical isolation; funds for building new, repairing, and upgrading Covid-19 treatment facilities, isolation facilities, and field hospitals; funds for implementing regimes and policies for frontline forces against the epidemic, etc.

In addition, due to the urgent nature and short-term handling, the volume of work to prevent and control the Covid-19 epidemic is very large, requiring a large mobilization of human and financial resources. On the other hand, there is no precedent, so the allocation of funding and resources in the early stages is still confusing, and at times not timely.

Colonel Duong Minh Hien - Deputy Commander of the Provincial Military Command reported on the mobilization of forces to participate in the work of preventing and fighting the Covid-19 epidemic. Photo: Mai Hoa

Some medicines and consumables have had their budgets approved, but when bidding, there were no contractors that met the selection criteria, leading to some items not being supplied in time to serve the work of epidemic prevention and control.

Based on the recent practice of Covid-19 prevention and control, a number of departments and branches have proposed that the National Assembly amend and supplement the Law on Bidding, in which it is necessary to consider medical supplies and medical equipment as special goods with separate regulations in bidding; at the same time, it is necessary to amend and supplement the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases, in order to overcome current shortcomings.

Lieutenant Colonel Tran Ngoc Tuan - Deputy Director of the Provincial Police Department gave his opinion at the meeting. Photo: Mai Hoa

Regarding primary health care and preventive medicine, the most concerning issue at present is the level and capacity of the medical staff as well as inadequate medical equipment.

The trend of medical staff leaving their jobs is increasing at the grassroots level, with 40 staff in 2022, including 21 doctors. In addition, the grassroots level only focuses on providing medical examination and treatment services, while the preventive health sector has not received due attention.

Clarifying the arrangement of reserve resources and funding for epidemic prevention and control

Comrade Thai Thi An Chung speaks at the meeting. Photo: Mai Hoa

Based on the reports of departments and branches, members of the National Assembly Delegation's Supervisory Delegation raised many issues that need to be clarified. In addition to paying attention to the propaganda work on epidemic prevention and control and experience in building field hospitals, Comrade Thai Thi An Chung - Member of the Provincial Party Executive Committee, Deputy Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation, Deputy Head of the Supervisory Delegation requested relevant sectors to clarify the payment for medical staff participating in epidemic prevention and control; the plan to handle surplus funds from the budget and social mobilization sources at the allocated units.

Some opinions proposed clarifying the arrangement of reserve resources at all levels to serve the work of preventing and fighting natural disasters and epidemics according to the Budget Law to ensure 2-4%; paying attention to investing in minimum equipment for grassroots health care.

Comrade Tran Nhat Minh - Member of the National Assembly's Law Committee, full-time National Assembly delegate, Deputy Head of the Supervisory Delegation spoke and made a number of recommendations for the sectors. Photo: Mai Hoa

At the end of the meeting, Comrade Tran Nhat Minh - Member of the Law Committee of the National Assembly, full-time National Assembly delegate, Deputy Head of the Supervisory Delegation acknowledged that departments and branches have fully implemented policies and legal regulations on mobilizing, managing and using resources for Covid-19 prevention and control; policies and laws on grassroots health care and preventive medicine. Resources mobilized for epidemic prevention and control were timely and used effectively, contributing to good control of the epidemic in the whole province. Regarding the grassroots health care network, it has been invested in upgrading and the preventive medicine sector has contributed to controlling many types of epidemics.

Comrade Tran Nhat Minh suggested that the Department of Finance and the Department of Health need to review the remaining facilities and medical equipment serving the prevention and control of the Covid-19 epidemic to have an effective use plan.

For Public Security units, the Provincial Military Command, and the Provincial Border Guard Command, it is necessary to fully assess the mobilization of forces, the difficulties and make recommendations to the National Assembly on issues related to the mobilization of forces and coordination with forces in epidemic prevention and control.