Large, high-value bidding packages have not been promptly reported by hospitals.
According to the document of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, some affiliated units have not proactively or promptly fully reported the bidding packages and procurement estimates organized weekly. Notably, many large-scale, high-value bidding packages with complex technical requirements have been organized on the National Bidding Network System but have not been reported to the Department of Health as prescribed.
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health also noted that some units are slow to report as required for large, high-value bidding packages that are of public concern. The list mentioned includes Lanh Binh Thang General Hospital, Tu Du Hospital, Gia Dinh People's Hospital, Tropical Diseases Hospital and Trung Vuong Hospital.
Regarding the procurement process, some units have not issued or approved unified procedures and have not fully updated new regulations. In some places, there are many different procurement procedures in departments and rooms even though they apply the same method of contractor selection.
The Department of Health also noted the quality of the meetings of the professional council. Some minutes have not fully reflected the contents to be discussed for goods with high value, technicality and high technology content; the assessment of socio-economic efficiency of procurement proposals is also incomplete. Some meetings have not ensured the composition, quantity or dossiers have not been provided in advance to council members.
Adjusting bidding, paying attention to technical requirements or estimated prices
Regarding the order and procedures for bidding, the Department of Health requests units to closely follow the new regulations and forms in Decree 349 and Circular 134, along with relevant legal regulations.
Regarding standards and norms for the use of machinery and equipment, the Department of Health requests units to review specialized regulations before deciding to purchase. In case the equipment expected to be purchased exceeds the approved standards and norms, the unit must liquidate assets according to regulations before putting new equipment into use, to prevent the situation of exceeding standards and norms at the time of acceptance and use.
Another content that the Department of Health especially noted is the development of estimated prices and package prices. Units must focus on price determination data sources and be responsible for preparing, submitting, and approving prices in accordance with regulations.
Regarding technical requirements, investment equipment must meet professional needs and related standards and regulations. The Department of Health requests units to continuously review technical requirements throughout the process of preparing, appraising and issuing bidding documents.
Notably, if detecting or suspecting that technical requirements show signs of orientation, limiting the participation of contractors, creating advantages for one or more contractors or dividing projects to limit competition, the unit must seek opinions from specialized agencies before continuing to implement. The Department of Health requests that absolutely no prohibited acts occur in bidding.
With specialized equipment, high value, and high technology content, the Department of Health requests the investor to carefully review the technical requirements, avoiding contradictions in the bidding documents leading to limitations or loss of equality between manufacturers.
The Department of Health also noted the very low savings rate in some bidding packages and estimates after selecting contractors compared to the approved estimate price.
In addition, units are requested to publicly disclose the effectiveness of using goods and services after selecting contractors on the National Bidding Network System. According to the Department of Health, complete post-inspection data will help the public procurement market become more transparent, and at the same time provide a basis for evaluating contractors, goods quality and building technical criteria for subsequent procurements.
