Suggestions for amending the law to "cure" the shortage of medicine and medical equipment

This afternoon (November 6), continuing the 8th session, the National Assembly discussed in the hall the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Planning, the Law on Investment, the Law on Investment under the public-private partnership model and the Law on Bidding.

Hospital pharmacies are lacking many types of drugs and medical equipment.

Regarding the Law on Bidding, National Assembly delegate Tran Thi Nhi Ha (Hanoi delegation) said that some provisions of this law have caused a lot of confusion for hospitals.

National Assembly Delegate Tran Thi Nhi Ha (Hanoi delegation).

According to Ms. Ha, when implementing in practice, many health departments and medical examination and treatment facilities sent official dispatches to the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Planning and Investment, reflecting difficulties and shortcomings and requesting guidance on this content.

"Hospital pharmacies are lacking many types of drugs and medical equipment to serve the needs of patients," said the delegate.

From the reality of many shortcomings, the female delegate proposed to amend Clause 2, Article 55 of the Law on Bidding in the following direction: For the purchase of vaccines for vaccination services; purchase of drugs, medical equipment, essential goods at retail locations in public medical examination and treatment facilities, these facilities can decide on their own purchases, without having to apply forms of contractor selection.

According to Ms. Ha, while public facilities face many difficulties in bidding, leading to a shortage of drugs and medical equipment, non-public medical facilities ensure adequate drugs and equipment, even rare drugs and modern medical equipment.

In addition, Ms. Ha also said that although one of the bidding principles is to ensure economic efficiency, private facilities using conventional procurement methods can purchase some medical equipment at cheaper prices than public facilities.

"The question of why this is so has not yet been definitively answered and remains a big challenge for the bidding process," said Ms. Ha.

According to the female delegate, the proposal to add regulations in the Law on Bidding requires not only public facilities but also private medical facilities to post information about procurement results.

At the same time, this is also an important database that is valuable in management and reference, creating transparency and limiting negative aspects in bidding, ensuring adequate medicine and medical equipment for medical examination and treatment.

Hospital confused in buying medicine

Also giving comments on the Law on Bidding, National Assembly delegate Pham Khanh Phong Lan (HCMC delegation) affirmed that bidding is not the only way, not the best way.

National Assembly Delegate Pham Khanh Phong Lan (HCMC delegation).

Based on her work experience, the female delegate found that, with the circular of the Ministry of Health, all hospital pharmacies and drug retail establishments in hospitals must be subject to management, that is, input sources, input prices, and the higher the value of the drug, the lower the profit.

According to Ms. Lan, this is something valuable because other pharmacies cannot do that. When patients come to see a doctor, buying medicine in the hospital is still more secure than buying it outside.

Ms. Lan said that the 2013 Law on Bidding has mentioned this issue, that the source of revenue must be legal.

"If it is legal, there must be a bidding process. The law is like that, everything purchased must meet the regulations," Ms. Lan said and suggested that when the decree and guiding circulars are issued, in the context of hospitals, they must be amended as proposed by delegate Tran Thi Nhi Ha.

If it cannot be fixed, it must be understood in a broader sense that we decide on the form of procurement, whether it is through designated bidding, competitive bidding, direct procurement, or price negotiation.

The female delegate also said that in reality, in the market recently, there were people who asked: Why is there a shortage of drugs for so many years but now there is a shortage of drugs? According to Ms. Lan, we cannot blame everything on Covid-19 or this or that, but must clearly see that "we are making things difficult for ourselves".

"There is no country where a pill entering a hospital is so haphazardly managed. The number one goal is still to ensure improving people's health and ensuring quality medicine," said Ms. Lan.

Ms. Lan also raised the issue of what projects and research results have been evaluated after years of hard work in bidding, what savings have been made; or a series of people involved in violations and criminal proceedings for falling before bidding.

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/hien-ke-sua-luat-de-chua-benh-thieu-thuoc-va-thiet-bi-y-te-192241106174949809.htm