Gov’t removes bottlenecks in medicines, medical equipment

Resolution 30 corrects the regulations on payment of medical expenses covered by health insurance.

Especially, it amends Clause 4 of Resolution No. 144/NQ-CP dated November 5, 2022 of the Government as follows:

Allowing continued payment of medical examination and treatment expenses covered by health insurance for technical services performed by machines provided by contractors after winning the bid for materials and chemicals according to the contractor selection results, approved by a competent authority in accordance with the Law on Bidding, as follows:

a) For contracts signed before November 5, 2022: follow the term of the contract.

b) For contracts signed from November 5, 2022: implement until there are legal documents on this issue, including contracts signed in the form of direct procurement. 

In case the contract term specified at Points a and b of this Clause expires, the payment will continue until the purchased supplies and chemicals are used up."

Under Resolution 30/NQ-CP, in the case in the bidding documents, contractor is responsible for providing medical equipment to use materials and chemicals, the winning contractor must provide medical equipment at the request of the investor.

Medical examination and treatment expenses for technical services performed by machines provided by contractors after winning bids for supplies and chemicals specified in this Clause shall be paid by the Health Insurance Fund. In case the contract expires, the payment will continue until the purchased materials and chemicals are used up.

Resolution 30 takes effect from the date of issuance. 

A shortage of medical supplies and chemical sterilant has been affecting major hospitals across Viet Nam since early 2022.

The government's resolution that took effect in November 2022 prohibited the use of medical insurance to pay for such contracts. Thus, since December last year, many hospitals have not had the funds to buy new supplies.  

Hospitals across Viet Nam, not just major cities like Ho Chi Minh City and Ha Noi, have been hit by a severe shortage of medicines and medical equipment in recent months.

Several health officials and hospital leaders blamed complicated bidding procedures and low financial capacity after two years of Covid-19 were major reasons behind the poor medical supply situation.

The Covid-19 pandemic has placed several hospitals into financial difficulties, forcing them to curtail purchases. Since most medical supplies are imported, the fact that businesses not having fully recovered from the pandemic means supply chains are not functioning smoothly. Certain drugs and other medical products also require lengthy bidding processes./.