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Doctors of Gia Dinh People’s Hospital are performing a surgery |
On February 24, HCMC Health Department sent a proposal to the Health Ministry, reporting its current challenges. The proposal has been basically responded via Decree No.07/2023/ND-CP and Resolution No.30/NQ-CP.
In particular, the first and second sections of Resolution No.30/NQ-CP greenlight the use of health insurance to pay for medical expenses on technical services performed by machines of contractors after winning bids for chemicals and medical supplies, approved by competent authorities in compliance with the Bidding Law.
Also, to answer the proposal on the basis to determine bidding prices of medical equipment and non-consulting services (repair, maintenance, warranty), the Resolution allows healthcare units to pilot guidance on formulating bid package prices in 2023.
With respect to the proposal on issuing import permits, circulation certificates for medical equipment, and providing a valid account for healthcare facilities in HCMC to upload contractor selection results as regulated, Decree No.07/2023/ND-CP agrees to extend import permits.
Finally, as regards the proposal to grant the settlement and payment of medical expenses via health insurance in 2022 according to the annual settlement report of a healthcare unit after assessment of the social security unit as regulated, as well as the proposal to use healthcare insurance for medical payment via diverse methods as stated in the latest Resolution No.30/NQ-CP and Decree No.07/2023/ND-CP, the Government is going to deliver detailed instruction in the near future.
Leaders of local hospitals in HCMC agreed that the two important legal documents above have provided legal tools to address existing ME-related and medicine issues, especially those asking for three reference prices or the extension of import permit, circulation certificate.
Despite that fact, Director Phan Van Bau of People’s Hospital 115 warned that healthcare facilities should be careful to check whether the prices given by suppliers are the same with those in other countries or not.
It is necessary to have an agency to monitor this ME quotation since later evaluation processes also depend on these prices, said Doctor Chau Van Dinh, Director of HCMC Hospital for Traumatology and Orthopaedics.
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Doctors of Binh Dan Hospital are performing a medical test |
Director of HCMC Health Department stressed that since the introduction of Decree No.07/2023/ND-CP and Resolution No.30/NQ-CP can address many inadequacies lately, HCMC determines not to let medicine and ME shortages happen. However, because these two legal documents only focus on immediate difficulties, there might be cases of each unit understands those papers in different ways during implementation, asking for a discussion to reach an agreement among healthcare units.
He further informed that HCMC Health Department is going to hold weekly online meetings so that local hospitals can report their ME purchasing status in compliance with the legal documents above. Meanwhile, his department is closely monitoring the trading of ME and chemicals to timely tackle arisen issues, not to let patient care be interrupted.
He hoped that the Health Ministry could introduce a long-term solution by development of appropriate laws for ME purchases among public hospitals.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Khanh Phong Lan – National Assembly member – stated that Decree No.07/2023/ND-CP and Resolution No.30/NQ-CP are only a temporary solution. To completely solve the problem, it is necessary to form cooperation among the three ministries of Health, Finance, and Planning-Investment because bidding price identification is matter of economy as well. In the upcoming adjustment of the Bidding Law, there must be one section saved for medicine and ME.
Director Nguyen Minh Loi of the Department of Medical Equipment and Construction (under the Health Ministry) voiced that Decree No.07/2023/ND-CP solved a major problems among hospitals, and the bidding winning packages can be imported immediately. Resolution No.30/NQ-CP greenlights the use of health insurance to pay for medical expenses on technical services performed by machines of contractors after winning bids for chemicals and medical supplies, approved by competent authorities in compliance with the Bidding Law.
Any contracts, including the ones signed under the form of direct purchase, signed by November 5, 2022 continue to work to the end, while those signed from this date will be carried out until there are newer legal documents related to this matter. This regulation aims to fill the legal gap in the implementation of this issue from November 5, 2023 until the revised Law on Medical Examination and Treatment takes effect, along with corresponding guidance.
Director Dao Xuan Co of Bach Mai Hospital expressed his happiness implementing these legal documents. He hoped that the papers can tackle urgent problems related to ME and medicine shortages. In particular, the two documents will positively affect 2,000 items that need buying to serve patients. Two-thirds of them formerly had to wait because no contractors applied for the bidding, or they had such high reference prices.
Deputy Director Diep Bao Tuan of HCMC Oncology Hospital also welcomed these legal documents enthusiastically as they help address many inadequacies in purchasing ME, medicine, chemicals for medical tests. In a long term, there must be more stable and effective policies, regulations on these matters because Resolution No.30/NQ-CP can only extend ME until February 2024.
