Hospital explains why chemicals and supplies are 6 times more expensive

The National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion explained that it purchased two types of chemicals at a higher price than other facilities because the supplier calculated the unit price incorrectly.

Master Le Lam, Deputy Director of the Central Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, said that the State Audit report related to the Institute was not accurate.The audit determined that the Central Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion purchased the chemicals Series Retic Park reagen kit, 1x380 ml + 1,900 ml at 5.8 times more expensive than the price at Thong Nhat Hospital.

Mr. Lamsaid it had asked the company supplying this chemical to explain to the hospital.Accordingly, chemicalsSeries Retic Park reagent kit not availableThe price is 2.8 million VND as audited. The actual winning bid price at Thong Nhat Hospital is nearly 11 million VND, and the supply to the Institute of Hematology is nearly 17 million VND.

"The reason for such a price difference is that the company's employees miscalculated the unit price. Therefore, even though the company won the bid, it still cannot supply this item to Thong Nhat Hospital," Mr. Lam explained.

Professor Nguyen Anh Tri, Director of the Central Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion. Photo: NP

Professor Nguyen Anh Tri, Director of the Central Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, added that the winning bid price at the Institute compared to other hospitals across the country is the same, and the Institute may even be cheaper.In 2015, the Institute bid for 4 chemical packages, corresponding to 1,000 active ingredients, with a package reduced by 23% compared to the planned price approved by the Ministry of Health.

Regarding the price difference of a box of Diff Timepac 2x2075 ml, which was audited to be 3 times higher than the price at Cho Ray Hospital, the Institute's leader explained that the two boxes of chemicals have different packaging and content. Therefore, this comparison does not reflect the true nature. Compared to other hospitals such as K, Viet Duc, Bach Mai, this price is similar, ranging from 40-42 million VND.

Cho Ray Hospital was repeatedly cited by the Auditor for material prices for comparison.with the same price at other hospitals. Explaining this difference, Cho Ray representative cited a box of Diff Timepac 2x2075 ml, at the Central Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, priced at 42,607,000 VND.

The chemical belongs to the category of ready-made reagents for the peroxidase cytochemical reaction, used to test for free radicals. Diff Timepac only runs on Siemens - USA equipment. The type at Cho Ray is packaged in 9070 ml per box, the winning bid price is 3,190 VND/ml, equivalent to 28,933,300 VND per box.

The butterfly needle at Viet Duc Hospital, according to the Audit, costs 1,090 VND, while at Cho Ray Hospital it costs 7,350 VND, a difference of 6.7 times. Cho Ray representative said that this is the general name for the device used to infuse medicine into the vein. There are many types on the market with different prices.

At Cho Ray Hospital, the request from clinical departments is to use the 30cm long G23 safety butterfly needle.When Cho Ray invited bids, the safety criteria were expressed in 4 requirements: the needle tip was made of CrNi coated with silicon, ensuring sharpness but smoothness to minimize damage to the vascular wall; Luer lock to prevent reflux of fluid and air bubbles; no DEHP additive, a toxic substance that causes endocrine disorders; the needle was fixed with a 30 cm connecting wire.

The estimated price for purchasing a 30cm G23 safety butterfly needle in 2015 that the hospital proposed based on the supplier's quotation was 7,350 VND per needle. At that time, there was only one supplier, a company from Thailand. The hospital used this reference price to include in the plan to request the Ministry of Health, then won the bid at 6,300 VND per needle.

The price of a box of Cleaning Solution (Clean A), 1x500 ml at Viet Duc Friendship Hospital is 5,067,000 VND, 3.1 times more expensive than Cho Ray Hospital. Explaining the reason for the cheaper price, Cho Ray representative said that in 2015, the chemical Cleaning Solution corresponded to the product ISE Cleaning Sol. This is a solution used only for washing machines by Roche.

With the packaging specification of 5 x 100 ml per box, the planned price when approved by the Ministry of Health and then winning the bid is 3,416 VND/ml, equivalent to 1,708,000 VND per 500 ml box.

A butterfly needle at Cho Ray Hospital is 6.7 times more expensive than at Viet Duc Hospital. Photo: Le Phuong.

One of the central hospitals is said to have medical equipment that is broken before its depreciation period has expired.Dr. Nguyen Van Kinh, Director of the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases, explained that due to "high capacity and frequent use, these machines break down early before their depreciation period."

In particular, the tagMan PCR-Roche system that the State Audit named was actually borrowed by the hospital from a company, used to measure the viral load of HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C in the patient's body. If the machine breaks down, the other company must take responsibility.

In general, most hospitals named in the audit report said that, the same chemical but depending on the manufacturer, used on what equipment, packaging specifications... will determine different prices.

Currently, in drug bidding, all prices are posted on the website by the state management agency, and hospitals can look them up for reference. With bidding for medical equipment and supplies, because there is no information on the prices of goods, each hospital only sends an official dispatch to the Ministry of Health for approval and then bids on its own without being able to look up prices elsewhere to compare prices, leading to price differences in many hospitals.

Reporting at the National Assembly session on May 23, a representative of the State Audit said that the audit results of investment, procurement, management and use of medical equipment in 2015 discovered many shortcomings.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Health approves different planned prices for the same type of material or chemical from the same supplier from different hospitals, leading to a huge difference between the highest and lowest approved prices for the same type of material or chemical.

According to VNE