Basic response
Talking to Lao Dong about the situation of purchasing drugs, chemicals, testing supplies, and medical equipment in the city, Deputy Director of the Department of Health of Can Tho City Nguyen Ngoc Viet Nga informed that in 2023, the People's Committee of Can Tho City approved the policy of assigning Can Tho City Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital as the unit to purchase drugs at the local level for the period 2023-2025.
The Obstetrics Hospital has organized the selection of contractors to purchase drugs for public and non-public medical examination and treatment facilities with an expanded procurement list approved by the City People's Committee, including 10 bidding packages.
Since October 2023, there have been drug bidding results for 10/10 packages with a total winning bid value of about 2,606 billion VND, with a 24-month agreement period (2023-2025). In general, the local drug treatment needs have been basically met.
Currently, the Department of Health has submitted to the competent authority for approval the list of (supplementary) drugs for centralized procurement at the local level in 2024. After the approval decision is issued, the local centralized drug procurement unit (Maternity Hospital) will carry out the next steps to organize the selection of drug procurement contractors according to regulations.
As for medical supplies and equipment, units under the Department of Health have organized bidding for procurement to serve medical examination and treatment at the unit. Up to now, the bidding packages for procurement of chemicals, testing supplies, and medical equipment in 2023 at medical examination and treatment facilities have been completed, the contract period of the bidding package is 12 months.
Currently, the units are synthesizing the needs and submitting to the competent authority for approval of the plan to select contractors for the procurement of chemicals, testing supplies, and medical equipment in 2024 - 2025.
Regarding the reason for the shortage of some medicines, chemicals, testing supplies, and medical equipment at some medical facilities, Ms. Nga further explained that during the process of organizing the selection of contractors, some items could not be selected for contractors.
"The reason is that there are no bidders participating in the items (due to the small number of bids, due to the planned price being lower than the bid price; some items invited quotations but did not receive quotations).
Although the items have won the bid, there is still a local shortage of some drugs, chemicals, testing supplies, and medical equipment because the contractor does not have the goods to supply (Immunoglobulin) or does not supply enough according to the order of the Hospital" - Deputy Director of the Department of Health of Can Tho City said.
Proposed amendments and supplements
On that basis, the Can Tho City Health Department proposed to amend the Bidding Law No. 22/2023/QH15 to help improve the procurement of drugs, chemicals, testing supplies, and medical equipment to serve patients.
At Point b, Clause 2, Article 25 (Law on Bidding No. 22/2023/QH15) there is the content "b) Investors are only allowed to apply direct procurement once for goods in the bidding package and the volume of each work item is less than 130% compared to the volume of the corresponding item in the bidding package signed with the previous contract, excluding the volume of the additional purchase option (if any);", the Department proposed to amend and supplement: "For the purchase of drugs for retail sale at drug retail establishments within the premises of public medical examination and treatment facilities, in case of applying direct procurement, investors are allowed to apply direct procurement multiple times for one or more types of drugs".
At Point c, Clause 1, Article 23. Bidding designation: "c) Bidding packages for the provision of consulting and non-consulting services, drugs, chemicals, testing supplies, medical equipment, components, accessories, vehicles, and construction and installation that need to be implemented immediately to serve the work of disease prevention and control or to maintain the operation of medical examination and treatment facilities in urgent cases, avoiding causing harm to people's lives and health...", the Department proposed to supplement the definition of what is an urgent case, avoiding causing harm to people's lives and health.
