Medical center sued for late payment for Covid-19 prevention equipment

Some medical enterprises have sent documents to call for help and even sued to court over the fact that local authorities are slow to pay for the purchase of equipment for Covid-19 prevention and fight.
Some medical enterprises have sent documents to call for help and even sued to court. (Photo: SGGP)

Some medical enterprises have sent documents to call for help and even sued to court. (Photo: SGGP)

Specifically, CKV Health Company sued the People's Committee of Thuan An City in Binh Duong Province, demanding an amount of VND74.7 billion and late payment interest of VND5.3 billion; NHV Company sued for VND55 billion and late payment interest of VND4 billion.

The National Assembly, on the afternoon of January 7, held a discussion session to evaluate the implementation of the provisions of Resolution No.30/2021/QH15 dated July 28, 2021, to help the health sector solve problems arising in and after the pandemic. At the meeting, the delegates gave opinions on regimes and policies for people assigned to participate in pandemic prevention and control. Delegate Nguyen Anh Tri (Hanoi) said that it is necessary to clearly define the responsibilities of agencies and individuals who are late in payment for the prevention and control of the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, in fact, some medical enterprises have sent documents to call for help and even sued to court over the fact that local authorities are slow to pay for the purchase of equipment for Covid-19 prevention and fight. Specifically, CKV Health Company sued the People's Committee of Thuan An City in Binh Duong Province, demanding an amount of VND74.7 billion and late payment interest of VND5.3 billion; NHV Company sued for VND55 billion and late payment interest of VND4 billion.

At the conciliation session in court, Thuan An Medical Center said that the enterprise had finalized the amount of money. The medical center had repeatedly submitted for funding approval but the People's Committees at all levels have not yet provided the funding for payment.

Representatives of businesses said that these devices are not related to Viet A Company. In some other provinces, businesses even sold equipment of Viet A Company but they did not violate anything so they were paid. It was unknown why Binh Duong Province did not pay enterprises.

“In the eye of the pandemic, Binh Duong authorities sent an open letter calling on us to join hands in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, and we were willing to give human and material support, donating equipment and billions of Vietnamese dong in cash and received letters of thanks from authorities. However, when they purchased equipment, payment was not made on time, causing businesses to fall into difficult situations with debt piling up. Medical equipment suppliers sued us to collect debts everywhere,” a representative of enterprises that sued Thuan An Medical Center said.

Thus, amid the information that NA deputies have proposed to handle the head of units that are late in payment for pandemic prevention expenses, who will be responsible for the amount of court fees and incurred interest? Currently, Thuan An City of Binh Duong Province alone is said to owe nearly VND200 billion and is late in payment for nearly a year. If including the court fees and late payment interest, its debt is up to tens of Vietnamese billion dong.

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