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Deputy Minister of Health Do Xuan Tuyen |
Many large hospitals only have enough chemicals to test for 1 week
Professor Dao Xuan Co, Director of Bach Mai Hospital, reflected that equipment for medical examination and treatment is seriously lacking. Most of the equipment of Bach Mai Hospital in the past 10 years has been equiped in the form of joint ventures and associations. Thus, the contract expires at present, the circulars on joint ventures and associations will also expire and the hospital is waiting for new circulars and new regulations, so it is currently impossible to renew the contract, nor to sign new contracts.
Professor Tran Binh Giang, Director of the Vietnam-Germany Friendship Hospital, also said that there are many difficulties and problems that the hospital cannot manage on its own. Not only Viet Duc Hospital, but many other hospitals such as Bach Mai Hospital, K Hospital, and Cho Ray Hospital also have many difficulties in ensuring the supply of conditions to serve patients. Currently, major hospitals across the country are in short supply of medical supplies, testing chemicals for diagnosis and treatment of patients.
For instance, Viet Duc Friendship Hospital can use chemicals for blood counts in only one week. According to Professor Tran Binh Giang, test chemicals are used on the machine systems made by chemical supply companies. Since 2015, Viet Duc Hospital has had almost no money provided from the state budget for non-recurring expenditure activities, buying machinery, so the infirmary is unable to afford testing machines costing from VND250 billion to VND300 billion.
Professor Tran Binh Giang said that only 1-2 weeks left if the government had no steps to remove bottlenecks, the hospitals will almost be unable to operate.
Besides, the consumables for surgery will also run out within 1 month. As per regulations, the purchase of consumables must ensure that the consumables are marketed and licensed whereas most of the permits for consumables have not been granted or renewed, so hospitals cannot buy them either through bidding or buying.
VND7,000 billion will be poured into the health sector’s restructuring
Following many hospitals’ complaints about the exhaustion of medical supplies, chemicals, and a lack of medicine to serve patients, Deputy Minister of Health Do Xuan Tuyen yesterday said that the Ministry of Health is coordinating with the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Planning and Investment and related agencies to focus on solving immediate problems so that it will not affect the treatment of patients.
The Ministry of Health has drafted a Decree amending Decree 98 on the management of medical equipment which will be submitted to the Government for consideration and promulgation. When the Decree amending Decree 98 is issued, it will solve the basic contents related to the supply of medical equipment and supplies to the hospital.
Notably, the Ministry of Health has coordinated with the Vietnam Social Security to provide guidance on the payment of medical examination and treatment costs for medical facilities in 2021 with a total budget of about VND4,500 billion.
Currently, the Ministry of Health and the Vietnam Social Security continues to review to guide institutions to pay health insurance arrears for the years 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021.
The total cost initially reviewed is about VND2,500 billion. Thus, the total cost will be about VND7,000 billion from 2018 to 2021 if all medical facilities nationwide receive the payment, said Deputy Minister of Health Do Xuan Tuyen. This sum will be a great resource for medical facilities to restructure in the process of supplying drugs and materials as well as to ensure recurrent expenditure to maintain the operation of medical examination and treatment facilities.
