Viet A Company's test kit
Accordingly, secretaries of party committees and chairpersons of people's committees in provinces and cities were urged to direct relevant units to thoroughly grasp the guidance of the State, the Government, the Prime Minister, the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control and the Ministry of Health on bidding and procurement of drugs, biological products, medical supplies and equipment. Violators will surely receive punishment as per the present regulations.
In addition, they should direct the department of healths to assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with relevant units in, reviewing the procurement plan to ensure sufficient quantity and right type suitable for the new situation.
Departments of health will assume the prime responsibility for coordinating with relevant agencies in reviewing the procurement plan to ensure sufficient quantity for the new normal state.
Moreover, departments of health should carry out the bidding and procurement of drugs, biological products, supplies and medical equipment, especially items for epidemic prevention and control in accordance with regulations, ensuring publicity and transparency in the bidding process and procurement.
Notably, the Minister of Health suggested that local administrators should add content on bidding, procurement of drugs, biological products, supplies of medical equipment into their 2022 inspection plan.
At the same time, local governments should increase periodic and irregular inspection, examination, and supervision to sub-divisions for early detection of violations as well as handling of violations. Responsible agencies will transfer the dossier of violations to competent authorities for further investigation according to present law.
Lately, police investigators under the Ministry of Public Security have conducted a probe into a ring in producing and trading of Covid-19 test kits. The executive of Viet A technology company and the director of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) of the Northern Province of Hai Duong have been arrested for allegedly colluding to inflate Covid-19 test kit prices to pocket the differences.
In April 2020, the Ministry of Health granted a circulation license for Viet A Corp's one-step RT-PCR test kits, the first-ever made in Vietnam. The corporation has since provided such kits for many CDCs and medical facilities in 62 provinces and cities, so far earning the revenue of nearly VND4 trillion (US$174 million).
The executive of Viet A technology company had directed his employees to overstate the prices of production equipment and input materials to hike the selling price of a test kit to VND470,000 ($20.4). The Director of Viet A Company has paid very large amounts of money to the leaders of the purchasing agencies in return for them to choose Viet A Corp as the test kit provider and agree to the rates fixed by the company.
