HCMC to supply 300 different health insurance medications at health stations

To improve the healthcare quality of grassroots health facilities, particularly those with adequate drug supplies, and benefit insured patients, the HCMC Department of Health today announced its plan to centrally bid for medications for these facilities. This is aimed to meet the essential medical examination and treatment needs at ward and commune health stations throughout the city.

The city Department of Health today announced the preparation and implementation of bidding packages for generic drugs, herbal medicines, combined active ingredient medications, and traditional medicines. These packages are designed for the centralized procurement of drugs for health stations across the city from 2024 to 2025.

The participation and success rate of bidders for both packages has exceeded 80 percent in relation to the total number of bid items. This trend allows for the potential expansion of the drug list at health stations to approximately 300 items; thereby fulfilling the treatment needs at these facilities.

Notably, the Department of Health has designated Hung Vuong Hospital as the organizing entity for the generic drug bidding package. The bidding announcement and related documents were published on the National Bidding Network on August 1 including 298 items with an estimated value exceeding VND 81 billion.

Following the bidding process, 80 participants submitted a total of 482 bids. This represents a significant bidding package, and the phases of document evaluation and result synthesis have been finalized.

The Department of Health has reviewed the contractor selection outcomes and Hung Vuong Hospital will perform a review based on these appraisal results. Approval for the contractor selection results is anticipated to occur between October 10 and October 12.

Preliminary data indicates that approximately 240 bids were successful out of 298 submitted for bid drugs, achieving a success rate of 80.53 percent. The bidding package concerning medicinal herbs, drugs containing combined active ingredients with medicinal herbs, and traditional medicines was designated to the Traditional Medicine Hospital by the Department of Health as the bidding entity. The bidding announcement and related documents were published on the national bidding network on August 16, encompassing 57 items with a total estimated value of VND16 billion. In the post-bidding, 28 bidders engaged with 104 bid products.

Following a time of expedited implementation, the bidding package for medicinal herbs, drugs with combined active ingredients with medicinal herbs, and traditional medicines, with the Traditional Medicine Hospital as the bidding inviter, has successfully concluded the bidder selection process as per the Department of Health's decision.

Accordingly, 50 winning drugs were selected out of 57 ones invited for bidding (reaching a rate of 87.72 percent). The planned price of 50 winning items was set at VND15 billion while the corresponding winning price of 50 items was VND12 billion; thus, it has helped to save VND2 billion or a saving rate of 19.64 percent.

Following the approval of contractor selection results, the Department of Health instructed the inviting party to quickly sign a framework agreement and get ready to allocate the estimated quantities to medical centers in districts. Based on this allocation, the medical centers will then sign contracts and procure drugs to meet the medical examination and treatment needs at healthcare stations.

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, while district and county health centers have been working hard in implementing drug bidding for health stations in compliance with regulations, the results still fall short of the sector’s expectations in many areas, particularly in Thu Duc City.

Currently, only a few health stations within centers like Binh Thanh, Go Vap, Tan Phu, and Can Gio offer a relatively diverse and essential drug list that meets the needs of patients with health insurance cards. In contrast, most health stations have an average of only 10-15 medication items, with many failing to meet the minimum drug requirements for treating chronic diseases as recommended by the World Health Organization.

Previously, the Ministry of Health on May 17 issued Circular No. 07, which outlines the regulations for drug bidding at public health facilities under the 2023 Bidding Law.