On November 1, the National Assembly continued its discussion in the hall on the assessment of the results of the implementation of the socio-economic development plan for 2023; the expected socio-economic development plan for 2024...
Blood shortage in medical facilities
Explaining to the National Assembly about the blood shortage in medical facilities in the southwestern and southeastern provinces, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan said that the ministry has directed and assigned tasks to the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, the National Blood Center, Hue Central Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City Blood Transfusion and Hematology Hospital, Cho Ray Hospital, etc. to ensure support for Can Tho City and the southern provinces. The ministry also coordinated with units to mobilize donated blood to ensure supply. However, as of October 30, some medical facilities still reported blood shortages, mainly due to problems in bidding.
The Ministry of Health promised to work with medical facilities and localities to support blood for the provinces. At the same time, it requested localities to direct the Department of Health to carry out bidding and procurement, ensuring compliance with regulations.
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Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan explains to the National Assembly. Photo: QUANG PHUC |
“Obviously, with the same policy, some places do it well, while others still have problems. We hope that localities will pay attention to directing proactive procurement from planning, human resources…”, the Minister of Health emphasized.
There are still local drug shortages.
Explaining the lack of equipment, supplies, and medicine, the Minister of Health acknowledged that after the Covid-19 pandemic, the health sector of our country as well as many other countries in the world faced many difficulties and revealed many limitations...
It can be said that this is an extremely difficult period for the health sector with a backlog of work after nearly 3 years of focusing on fighting the epidemic. Along with that is the problem of a serious shortage of medicine, equipment, and medical supplies in many medical facilities.
Many medical staff from the central to local levels have violated the law; there is a wave of resignations and moves out of the public health sector. There are still many problems with policies and mechanisms, causing difficulties in the implementation process...
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National Assembly delegates attend the discussion session on the morning of November 1. Photo: QUANG PHUC |
In that context, the medical staff has made efforts, tried to unite to overcome difficulties, innovate methods, and work with the highest concentration to solve immediate difficulties, problems, and shortcomings of the industry as well as orient the industry in the long term for sustainable development.
Minister Dao Hong Lan said that the health sector has focused on implementing the goals, targets and tasks assigned by the National Assembly and the Government. Along with that, the top priority is given to the work of building and perfecting institutions and strategies in the health sector to create a legal corridor to ensure medical examination and treatment to serve the people as well as to perform the state management function in the health sector of the sector; focusing on improving the quality of medical examination and treatment at all levels; strengthening the prevention and control of infectious diseases...
Regarding the issue of overcoming the shortage of medicines and medical supplies, the Minister of Health acknowledged that, according to the World Health Organization's report, the shortage of medicines and medical equipment is a persistent challenge. This is not a new phenomenon, occurring in many countries, and is especially serious during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. This situation affects people's health care even in developed countries with advanced and modern health systems such as European countries.
The Minister of Health pointed out that this situation occurs due to many reasons, the main reasons being the scarcity of active ingredient supply in the world, price fluctuations on a global scale, conflicts between countries... increasing input costs, increasing product prices, and disrupting supply chains.
In Vietnam, the Minister said that drug bidding is carried out at three levels. Bidding at the central level accounts for 16.5% to 18% of the total number of drugs nationwide. Local levels and medical facilities carry out the procurement themselves. The shortage of drugs, medical equipment and supplies at public medical facilities has become more common after the Covid-19 pandemic.
In addition to objective causes, there are also subjective causes. The Minister pointed out that the relevant legal document system is still inadequate; the organization and implementation of bidding are still entangled; the coordination of procurement between units is not timely and effective. "In particular, there is a mentality of apprehension and fear of making mistakes among some individuals, units and localities," the Minister of Health pointed out.
Recently, the Ministry of Health and other ministries and branches have submitted to the National Assembly, the Government, and the Prime Minister many synchronous solutions to remove difficulties and obstacles related to the mechanism for bidding for procurement of drugs and medical supplies.
Regarding mechanisms and policies, the Ministry of Health has submitted to the National Assembly for promulgation laws related to the Law on Bidding, the Law on Prices, the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment, and resolutions of the National Assembly, documents of the Government, the Prime Minister, and ministries to create a legal corridor. In particular, the Law on Bidding, effective from January 1, 2024, will remove many problems in ensuring supply and implementing the procurement of drugs and medical equipment.
Regarding supply assurance, the Minister said that the Ministry of Health is speeding up the process of issuing, renewing drugs, registering drugs and medical equipment. The total number of registered drugs and pharmaceutical ingredients still valid at the current point is about 22,000 drugs of all kinds and 100,000 types of equipment still valid. This number ensures supply on the market for medical facilities.
The Ministry also directed businesses to find sources of supply, especially for rare drugs; to promote the reduction and simplification of administrative procedures, and to comprehensively decentralize approval, purchasing decision authority, and contractor selection plans for medical facilities under the Ministry of Health.
Along with that, the Ministry of Health has accelerated the implementation of national centralized drug procurement bidding; coordinated with medical facilities and localities to review problems related to ensuring drugs, medical equipment, etc. Minister Dao Hong Lan assessed that so far the above solutions have been implemented synchronously and achieved initial positive results. However, the Minister acknowledged that there is still a local shortage of drugs in some medical facilities and localities. For rare diseases, the Ministry of Health has presented a mechanism to remove the supply of rare drugs, especially related to the issue of financial and budgetary mechanisms.
According to reports from 1,078 medical facilities nationwide, in October, more than 61% of medical facilities reported having sufficient drug supply for medical examination and treatment activities; about 38.5% of units reported temporary local drug shortages.
According to the Minister of Health, there are units that previously faced difficulties but through bidding have ensured the supply of medicine, equipment and materials for medical examination and treatment activities.
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