How to solve the 'lack' of medical equipment?
(Baonghean.vn) - From the beginning of 2022 to the beginning of 2023, the bidding and procurement of equipment for public health units nationwide encountered many difficulties, greatly affecting the medical examination and treatment for people.
Removing difficulties
The reasons for the difficulties and problems in purchasing medical equipment are determined to be that after the Covid-19 pandemic, many supply sources were "broken" and a series of violations of the law related to bidding and purchasing medical equipment were exposed, leading to a "fear" of purchasing. Along with that, the bidding and purchasing process is complicated, many procedures are "tightened".
In Nghe An, the bidding and procurement of medical equipment is carried out in a centralized manner and the Provincial People's Committee assigned the Provincial Financial Consulting Support Center to carry out the procurement. According to the report of the Provincial Financial Consulting Support Center: In 2022, the Provincial People's Committee approved the contractor selection plan for 5 bidding packages for 15 medical units, with a total approved plan value of nearly 87.7 billion VND. The bidding results only implemented 2 bidding packages for 4 units, with a total winning bid value of over 13.3 billion VND... The bidding process encountered many difficulties and obstacles, due to the lack of qualified contractors (low appraisal value, few participating contractors) or not being qualified to perform due to not having enough 3 competitive quotations, and no independent appraisal unit.
To resolve difficulties and problems, the Government issued Decree No. 07/2023/ND-CP amending and supplementing a number of articles of Decree No. 98/2021/ND-CP of the Government dated November 8, 2021 on management of medical equipment; Resolution No. 30/NQ-CP dated March 4, 2023 on continuing to implement solutions to ensure drugs, medical equipment... The Ministry of Health also issued Circular No. 14/2023/TT-BYT dated June 30, 2023 on developing bidding packages for the procurement of medical equipment at public medical facilities (guiding hospitals to develop procedures and procedures for developing bidding packages for the procurement of chemicals and supplies for medical examination and treatment).
Resolution No. 30/NQ-CP, Decree No. 07/2023/ND-CP and Circular No. 14/2023/TT-BYT have allowed medical units to pilot the application of guidance on the construction of bidding package prices in 2023, according to the plan to determine bidding package prices based on at least one of the market price documents referenced from the quotations of suppliers; regulations on extending import licenses, circulation registration numbers to remove obstacles for units during the process of evaluating bidding documents, increasing the number of contractors meeting the requirements; allowing continued payment of medical examination and treatment costs under health insurance for technical services performed by machines provided by contractors after winning the bid for materials and chemicals; Allow medical units to use medical equipment that has been donated, given, contributed, aided, or sponsored by domestic and foreign individuals and organizations (including joint venture and association medical equipment whose contracts have expired) but have not completed procedures to establish public ownership for medical examination and treatment...
To resolve the problem, on June 15, 2023, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 14/2023/QD-UBND removing the list of medical equipment from the list of centrally purchased assets. The Provincial People's Committee assigned the Department of Health to preside over the procurement of medical equipment, coordinate with relevant agencies and units to research and advise the Provincial People's Committee.
Do not affect the rights of the people
Pharmacist Tran Minh Tue - Deputy Director of the Department of Health said: There are 7 units that have built procedures and requested policies to purchase medical equipment. The Department of Health and the Department of Finance have conducted appraisals and so far, Yen Thanh General Hospital, Nghe An Eye Hospital, Nghe An Oncology Hospital, and Vinh City General Hospital have been approved by the Provincial People's Committee for purchasing policies and are implementing the next procedures.
As for the equipment procurement package of the Socio-Economic Recovery Program according to Resolution 11/NQ-CP of the Government and the National Target Program (Project on Investment in Procurement of Equipment for 28 General Hospitals and District Medical Centers in Nghe An Province with a total investment of 237 billion VND and Project on Investment in Procurement of Equipment for the Provincial Center for Disease Control with a total investment of 55 billion VND), the investor, the Provincial Management Board of Investment Projects for Construction of Civil and Industrial Works, issued bidding documents and signed the procurement contract in December 2023.
In 2023, the Provincial People's Committee also approved the Project on using public assets for joint ventures and associations of "2 dose-modulated linear radiotherapy accelerator systems and 1 CT simulation system" of Nghe An Oncology Hospital. The Department of Health has submitted to the Provincial People's Committee to establish public ownership of assets donated by individuals and organizations, with a total value of over 24 billion VND (13 medical equipment of Nghe An General Hospital; 2 devices of Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital; 7 devices of Vinh City General Hospital; 1 device of Dien Chau General Hospital; 1 device of Nghe An Hematology and Blood Transfusion Center).
However, in some public hospitals in the province, there is still a situation where when patients come for examination and treatment, there are no machines or equipment for diagnosis and testing. Hospitals have "requested" patients to come by themselves or take them to non-public hospitals for imaging and testing.
In order to find out the reason for the current situation, it is known that: Some hospitals have not implemented the project of using public assets for joint ventures and associations, so according to regulations, they cannot use this equipment for medical examination and treatment. Many equipment of some hospitals are damaged but cannot be repaired in time due to procedures, equipment suppliers, etc. requiring time to implement.
To address the above situation, on December 19, 2023, the Department of Health issued Official Dispatch No. 4190/SYT-KHTC on maintenance, repair of machinery, equipment, and purchase and replacement of assets in the medical field to public hospitals in the province.
Pharmacist Tran Minh Tue - Deputy Director of the Department of Health stated: The Department requires public hospitals to urgently review and count damaged medical equipment at the unit to repair and maintain it according to regulations, in order to meet the requirements of medical examination and treatment for people in the area... Public hospitals need to seriously and effectively implement and take full responsibility if the medical equipment of the unit is damaged, but is slow to be repaired and maintained, affecting the work of medical examination and treatment for people./.
From 2024, the procurement and bidding of drugs and medical equipment will be carried out in accordance with the 2023 Bidding Law, which will take effect from January 1, 2024. Medical units are looking forward to the relevant ministries and branches soon issuing circulars guiding the implementation.
