Reviewing the draft resolution regulating the price of Covid-19 testing services in Nghe An

Attending the conference were:Nguyen Nam Dinh - Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council;Nguyen Nhu Khoi - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council; representatives of relevant departments, agencies and branches. Photo: Thanh Quynh

The need to abolish Resolution 225/2008/NQ-HDND

Implementing Resolution 225/2008/NQ-HDND dated July 27, 2008 of the Provincial People's Council on supporting people with revolutionary contributions to improve housing in Nghe An province, as of December 2020, the whole province has built 490 gratitude houses; supported funding for new construction, renovation and repair of 2,755 houses; supported funding for purchasing state-owned houses for 176 people; supported land allocation and exemption and reduction of land use fees for housing for 741 people.

ComradeNguyen Nam Dinh - Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council spoke to contribute comments on the content of the draft Resolutions.Photo: Thanh Quynh

However, in the face of new requirements from practice, the implementation of this resolution has revealed certain limitations. Specifically, the policy of supporting housing improvement and land use fee exemption for people with revolutionary contributions has been stipulated by the Government and ministries and branches in many different documents. Therefore, it has led to overlap and lack of consensus on the content of implementation instructions.

In addition, some provisions of the Resolution are difficult to implement and have not demonstrated fairness in resolving housing support policies for meritorious people and their relatives. Some provisions are no longer appropriate at present, specifically the provisions on conditions for donating gratitude houses, financial support for renovating and repairing houses, and financial support for purchasing state-owned houses.

On the other hand, Nghe An is a province with difficult circumstances and an unbalanced budget, so it is difficult to allocate resources to issue support policies higher than the central government's general regulations on this field.

Representatives of the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs clarified comments related to the draft Resolution to abolish Resolution 225/2008/NQ-HDND at the meeting. Photo: Thanh Quynh

Concluding this content, Head of the Culture - Social Committee of the Provincial People's Council Chu Duc Thai affirmed that abolishing Resolution 225/2008/NQ-HDND to ensure the settlement of housing improvement policies and exemption and reduction of land use fees for people with revolutionary contributions according to the regulations and instructions of the Central Government is extremely necessary.

However, to complete the draft Resolution, it is necessary to absorb, edit and clarify the legal basis for drafting the Resolution; the format of the document and the conditions for issuing the draft Resolution.

Deputy Head of the Culture and Social Affairs Committee of the Provincial People's Council Luc Thi Lien presented comments on the review of the draft Resolutions. Photo: Thanh Quynh

Draft Resolution on Regulations on testing service pricesSARS-CoV-2

At the review session, all opinions agreed that the issuance of a Resolution regulating the price of SARS-Cov-2 testing services not covered by the Health Insurance Fund in the province is extremely necessary, in order to create conditions for medical examination and treatment facilities to have a basis to conduct testing for people in need and basically agreed with the draft Resolution.

However, some opinions say that, according to current records, only 9 units in the whole province participated in giving comments; in which, at the district level, only 6/21 units gave comments on the draft Resolution, which is not enough.

Deputy Director of the Department of Health Tran Minh Tue clarified the contents of concern to delegates at the meeting. Photo: Thanh Quynh

In addition, in the face of the complicated epidemic situation, the sale of rapid test kits at pharmacies and private drugstores as well as the collection of SARS-CoV-2 testing services at medical examination and treatment facilities, especially non-public facilities, have many different prices. Therefore, it is recommended that the Department of Health strengthen inspection and examination work.

At the same time, it is necessary to clarify the basis for regulating the price of SARS-CoV-2 testing services in the draft Resolution.

Specific price: SARS-CoV-2 Ag test rapid single sample maximum is 78,000 VND/test

Maximum single sample automatic/semi-automatic SARS-CoV-2 Ag immunoassay is 178,900 VND/test.

SARS-CoV-2 testing using Realtime RT-PCR technique, single sample maximum 212,700 VND/test.

Head of the Culture and Social Affairs Committee of the Provincial People's Council Chu Duc Thai concluded the key issues related to the draft Resolutions that were reviewed. Photo: Thanh Quynh

Concluding this content, Head of the Culture - Social Committee of the Provincial People's Council Chu Duc Thai emphasized the importance of proactively implementing the development of a Resolution regulating the price of SARS-CoV-2 testing services not covered by the Health Insurance Fund in the province.

He requested the Department of Health to accept, edit and supplement some contents to complete the draft Resolution; at the same time, continue to urge the serious and synchronous implementation of collecting opinions from localities and units; strengthen inspection and examination work to ensure the price and quality of biological products and test kits are in accordance with regulations.