The recent drug shortage in Ho Chi Minh City is not due to the procurement mechanism, but mainly due to the supply chain, said Mr. Le Ngoc Danh - Head of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Department of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health.
Pharmacy of University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City - Photo: XUAN MAI
According to information from the Ministry of Health on the evening of October 24, at some major hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City, the problem of shortage of drugs, supplies, and medical equipment has been resolved.
Drug shortages only occur in certain items such as rare drugs, drugs that are too cheap or with items that medical facilities have few patients treating. The objective factor that accounts for the majority of the shortage is due to supply disruptions.
At Children's Hospital 1, Dr. Nguyen Thi Bich Nhan, head of the pharmacy department, said that the hospital basically has no shortage of routine drugs. While waiting for instructions from the Government and the Ministry of Health, the hospital has already bid in advance.
Regarding the shortage of Gamma globulin to treat hand, foot and mouth disease a year ago, Dr. Nhan said the cause did not stem from the lack of legal documents in procurement, but mainly due to a broken supply chain due to not being able to import the medicine to Vietnam in time.
Meanwhile, the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City receives 7,000 - 8,000 outpatients and more than 1,000 inpatients every day. This is currently the medical facility with the largest number of patients in the southern provinces.
Ms. Nguyen Minh Anh - deputy director of the hospital - said that after many cases of legal problems in purchasing, many units are hesitant because even asking for a quote from a contractor is not easy.
After the Government issued Decree 24 in 2024 (only needing at least one quotation to build a plan price, instead of 3 quotations as before), the hospital no longer lacks medicine, supplies, and medical equipment.
At Cho Ray Hospital, on average, it receives 5,000-6,000 outpatients and more than 1,000 inpatients per day.
Mr. Pham Thanh Viet - Deputy Director of the hospital - shared that the current situation of drug shortage is mainly related to the disruption of the global supply chain. Domestic drug manufacturers are also delayed in supplying due to lack of imported raw materials.
Currently, hospitals lack drugs mainly due to objective reasons such as: the drug price is too cheap, no unit participates in bidding; or the drug is rare and has only a few suppliers; or there are units that win the bid but when it comes time to deliver the drugs and supplies, they cannot import the goods due to a disruption in the supply chain.
In these cases, if there is no alternative medicine, it is very difficult for the hospital to fully supply and the hospital cannot terminate the bidding package to re-bid.
According to Mr. Le Ngoc Danh - Head of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Department of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, the recent drug shortage in the city was not due to the procurement mechanism, but mainly due to the supply chain.
Many hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City, in addition to planning for the needs of the city's residents, also have to meet the treatment needs of neighboring localities, leading to drug shortages, typically during the hand, foot and mouth disease outbreak in 2023.
In addition, some drugs are granted registration numbers but in reality importers do not import them, so Ho Chi Minh City must issue special import orders.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/thieu-thuoc-o-benh-vien-tp-hcm-la-do-dut-gay-nguon-cung-ung-2024102420103635.htm
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