After Vietnam Business published the article “Lam Dong: Hospitals lack medicine, patients struggle to buy outside” , reflecting the situation due to difficulties in bidding, in recent times, in Lam Dong province, there are some medical examination and treatment facilities lacking medicine, supplies, and medical equipment, leading to patients having to buy outside.

Patients waiting to receive health insurance medicine at Lam Dong General Hospital on the afternoon of May 22.

The article received great attention from readers nationwide. On the afternoon of May 22, leaders of the Lam Dong Provincial Department of Health had a meeting with reporters to provide more information on this issue.

According to Pharmacist Huynh Thi Phuong Duyen - Deputy Director of Lam Dong Provincial Department of Health, in reality, there are times when some medical facilities still lack some medicines and medical supplies for patients, because they cannot select a contractor after many bidding rounds.

However, these drugs can be replaced with other drugs with the same therapeutic effect that have won the bid and are available at the unit. At the same time, medical facilities have purchased bid packages according to the instructions in Clause 4, Article 23 of the Bidding Law 2023, to temporarily have drugs and chemical supplies to serve patients.

The Pharmacy Department - Lam Dong General Hospital still has enough medicine and medical supplies to serve the people.

On May 17, implementing Official Dispatch No. 2360/BYT-BH dated May 7, 2024 of the Ministry of Health, Lam Dong Provincial Department of Health issued Official Dispatch No. 1393/SYT-NVD reporting on the shortage of drugs, medical supplies, medical equipment and the situation of patients having to buy them themselves.

The main purpose of the above document is to provide information to the Ministry of Health as a basis for developing a circular regulating the payment of costs for medicines, supplies, and medical equipment directly to people with health insurance cards (HI) when examining and treating patients in an appropriate and feasible manner, in order to benefit more patients with HI.

“We affirm that there is no such thing as Lam Dong lacking medicine and patients having to fend for themselves as some media have reported. Up to now, Lam Dong has basically ensured the supply of medicine for people to receive inpatient and outpatient treatment,” the Deputy Director of Lam Dong Department of Health emphasized.

For example, Lam Dong General Hospital currently has 900 pharmaceutical items in stock, worth over VND18.2 billion. Medical supplies currently have 844 items in stock, worth over VND10.4 billion. Regarding consumables, in February 2024, there were 6 winning bid packages, including 753 items worth over VND106 billion, with a contract term of 12 months.

Staff of Pharmacy Department - Lam Dong General Hospital, providing medicine to patients in various departments.

According to the Deputy Director of Lam Dong Department of Health, the Ministry of Health has issued Circular 07/2024/TT-BYT regulating drug bidding at public health facilities. Thus, the difficulties in drug bidding have been resolved. The local health sector has sufficient legal basis to implement bidding for the purchase of drugs and equipment to serve the people.

Yuan You