Nghe An Provincial People's Council proposes 6 solutions to solve important problems of the health sector

On the morning of December 6, the 25th Session of the 18th Provincial People's Council completed the question and answer session on a group of issues on the implementation of the autonomy mechanism in public hospitals in the province at present; The situation of drug supply and health insurance medical examination and treatment services for health insurance patients, especially patients with serious illnesses and poor patients, ethnic minority and mountainous areas; The implementation of the target on combating malnutrition in children in the province for the period 2021-2025.

With a spirit of seriousness, democracy and responsibility, the question and answer session for the health sector was completed, with 13 rounds of questioning with 17 questions.

Director of the Department of Health, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoai Chung, although she has just taken on the task and this is her first time answering questions before the Provincial People's Council, has a firm grasp of the issues, and has answered questions and debates from delegates in a receptive, complete, and frank manner.

Directors of other departments and branches participated in answering and clarifying related issues, thereby clarifying the contents that delegates and voters were interested in.

Concluding the question-and-answer session, Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council Nguyen Nam Dinh said that over the past time, the Provincial People's Committee and departments, branches and localities have proactively implemented policies and regulations in the health sector, doing a good job of taking care of people's health. The quality of medical examination and treatment has been increasingly improved, facilities and human resources have been given attention, and many provincial hospitals have been recognized as the final hospitals of the North Central region.

The health sector has proactively and effectively responded to natural disasters and epidemics, especially the Covid-19 pandemic, ensuring adequate medicine and medical supplies, improving the quality of medical examination and treatment, meeting the medical examination and treatment needs of people in the province, other provinces and people of Laos.

The Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council said that voters and people highly appreciate the sense of responsibility of the medical staff in performing assigned tasks.

The health sector has actively implemented the delegation of autonomy to public service units, creating incentives for public service units to exploit revenue sources, improve the level of financial autonomy to conduct professional activities, and rationally use budgetary funds, contributing to reducing the burden on the state budget, creating a competitive environment, and improving the quality of medical examination and treatment among public health facilities and between public and non-public health facilities.

The work of preventing and combating malnutrition in children under 5 years old in recent years has achieved many positive results, basically completing the assigned annual targets.

According to Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council Nguyen Nam Dinh, besides the achieved results, the health sector's activities in general and the questioning contents still have some limitations.

The quality of medical examination and treatment under health insurance at some medical facilities is still inadequate, there is still a shortage of drugs and medical supplies locally, patients have to buy their own drugs and are not fully paid. There are many problems in bidding and purchasing drugs, equipment and medical supplies, so some units do not purchase the necessary medical equipment and supplies in full and on time.

The implementation of the autonomy mechanism in public service units still faces many difficulties and obstacles. The level of financial autonomy of autonomous units of groups III and IV is not high; the revenue from public service is low, mainly guaranteed by the state budget, not really meeting the requirements of autonomy and self-responsibility for organizational structure, staffing, and financial autonomy and management.

There is no strong enough mechanism to attract high-quality human resources to work in public health facilities in the area. In addition, the rate of malnutrition in children under 5 years old, although achieving positive results, is still high compared to the whole country.

Through the question and answer session, the Provincial People's Council proposed that in the coming time, the Provincial People's Committee, all levels, sectors and localities need to focus on synchronously implementing a number of tasks and solutions.

The first,Reviewing difficulties and inadequacies related to legal regulations, mechanisms and policies on the implementation of health care work in the province to propose to competent authorities to promptly resolve them; at the same time, proactively proposing amendments and supplements to inappropriate or unregulated contents on the financial autonomy mechanism of public service units, regulations on bidding and procurement of drugs, equipment and medical supplies; regulations on health insurance payment.

Timely implement new regulations of the Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Pharmacy; the Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Bidding; the Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Health Insurance and related regulations approved by the National Assembly; and documents guiding implementation to ensure good direction, implementation, and performance of medical examination and treatment, and health care for the people.

Monday, overall assessment of the current situation and ability to implement autonomy of public service units in the health sector, especially autonomous units of group III, group IV and even some autonomous units of group II to have solutions to thoroughly resolve and support to remove difficulties and obstacles for these units in implementing the autonomy mechanism.

Review legal regulations to further decentralize finance and human resources for hospitals to ensure the increasing autonomy and efficiency of these units. Focus on improving management of non-public medical facilities and strictly manage cosmetic activities in the area.

DProvincial People's Council delegates attending the meeting. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Tuesday,Continue to effectively carry out the bidding and supply of drugs and medical supplies in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Bidding and its guiding documents, ensuring adequate and timely supply of drugs and medical supplies for medical examination and treatment, especially drugs and medical supplies for patients with serious illnesses, poor patients, patients living in ethnic minority and mountainous areas. Research to soon establish a provincial centralized bidding and procurement center in the health sector to carry out this work.

Wednesday,Have a specific plan to invest resources, deploy smart healthcare, develop specialized healthcare, and contribute to improving the quality of medical examination and treatment. Focus on completing infrastructure and equipment at medical examination and treatment facilities; promptly resolve issues and problems arising in the process of organizing the implementation of policies and laws on health insurance, and in the settlement of medical examination and treatment costs under health insurance.

At the same time, implement Circular No. 37 of the Ministry of Health dated November 16, 2024, effective from January 1, 2025, on payment for drugs, pharmaceuticals, and biological products within the scope of benefits of health insurance participants.

Propose that the Provincial People's Committee assign the Department of Health to preside over and coordinate with the Department of Foreign Affairs and relevant departments and branches to research and propose medical examination and treatment policies for patients from Laos when they come to Nghe An province for medical examination and treatment.

Thursday, do a good job of communicating and providing information about health care and nutritional care to the people, the health sector and local authorities in the whole province.

Effectively implement programs and projects of the National Target Programs, integrate and synchronously deploy solutions to contribute to improving nutritional status, enhancing physical strength and fitness for children under 5 years old, especially for ethnic minority and mountainous areas; strive to complete the set nutrition targets by 2025 and try to achieve a rate higher than the national average.

Continue to implement Decision No. 02/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister approving the National Strategy on Nutrition for the period 2021 - 2030 and vision to 2045, contributing to the implementation of the national strategy on population.

Friday,Research and propose to issue regulations and policies to attract and train medical staff, especially medical staff with high expertise, deep expertise, and medical staff who volunteer to work at medical facilities in disadvantaged areas in the resolution-making program of the Provincial People's Council in 2025 to promptly ensure the number of employees and improve the quality of medical staff at medical facilities.

The Provincial People's Council assigned the Provincial People's Committee to direct relevant departments, branches and localities to implement the above-mentioned solutions. The Provincial People's Council assigned the Standing Committee of the Provincial People's Council, the Committees of the Provincial People's Council, the Provincial People's Council Delegation Groups and the Provincial People's Council delegates to supervise the reception, explanation and implementation of the contents of the conclusion of the questioning session.