The practice of patients with health insurance purchasing medications directly from outside must be stopped.

CEO Pham Khanh Phong Lan – Photo: TIEN LONG

Pham Khanh Phong Lan, a member of the Ho Chi Minh City delegation to the delegates’ meeting, continued to raise the above issues at a working meeting of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee and the Ho Chi Minh City National Assembly delegation on the afternoon of April 10.

Regarding the shortage of medicines in some hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City, Mr Lan described the situation: “Even though patients have insurance, they still have to purchase their medications directly from outside medical providers, which not only creates an additional financial burden but also risks the origin and quality of the medications.”

There, Mr. Lan asked the city’s health department to clearly explain the cause of the drug shortage and asked the department to report it and make recommendations to superiors.

A female representative said, “Medicine shortages are common not only in Ho Chi Minh City but also in many hospitals across the country. Liability of health insurance and related organizations if the interests of insured patients are not covered. “To make up for existing problems, it is necessary to revise the Health Insurance Act in this National Assembly,” he said.

Also in her speech, Ms. Lan noted the lack of vaccines for the expanded immunization program. She asked the city’s health department to provide clear information about these shortages, along with assessing the causes of measles outbreaks when measles vaccines were not immediately available.

“Especially with dengue fever and hand, foot, and mouth disease on the rise, the city should have an active mechanism to purchase medicines and vaccines instead of waiting for the central government’s decision,” Lan suggested.

Nguyen Van Vinh Chau, Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Health Department – Photo: TIEN LONG

After the discussion, Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Health Department Nguyen Van Vinh Chau said: The Ministry of Health has issued a circular to provide guidance on the pharmaceutical bidding regulations to be implemented by health care facilities. Since then, the department has directed public health facilities to effectively and quickly purchase drugs and medical equipment.

According to Mr. Chow, “Currently, medical facilities do not allow shortages of drugs or medical equipment due to subjective reasons. Almost all basic treatment drugs are available, and if these drugs are not available, other drugs can be substituted.

But Chau said there are still domestic shortages of some medicines, especially orphan drugs. Implementing Resolution 98 (Concrete Mechanisms and Policies), the city’s health sector is recommending the city’s People’s Committee to promulgate procedures for approving the import of particularly rare and valuable medicines.

“Currently, we still have sufficient stock of medicines related to treating dengue fever and hand, foot, and cleft fever. Fortunately, the dengue and hand, foot and mouth disease situation in the city will be relatively stable by 2024,” Mr Chau added.

Giving further details on the medicine shortage, the Deputy Director of the Ministry of Health said that after the issuance of Circular 07, Western medicine tenders were urgently assigned to Hung Vuong Hospital and Chinese medicine tenders to the city’s Traditional Medicine Hospital. Grassroots medical level.

This is an integrated bid for medicines that can be utilized at the local health care level. In December 2023, Ho Chi Minh City obtained the results of bid approval.

Currently, more than 300 essential medicines are provided to healthcare institutions. Medical institutions are signing contracts to supply medicines to medical institutions for two weeks (this week and next week).

The Ministry of Health reported to ministries and central departments on difficulties, problems and recommendations related to procurement and tendering of medicines and medical equipment.

“In the future, the clinic will be equipped with a variety of basic medicines to treat people with health insurance. There are enough drugs to treat common non-communicable diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes and other diseases. These medicines have the same active ingredients as the medicines I received at the Ho Chi Minh City hospital,” Mr Chau said.

Why is there a lack of expanded vaccination?

Regarding the shortage of expanded immunization vaccines, Ho Chi Minh City Health Department Deputy Director Nguyen Van Vinh Chau said that according to a report from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (HCDC), the health department currently does not yet know the source. .DPT (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis) vaccine provided.

According to the report, from the end of September, Ho Chi Minh City no longer has DPT vaccines. Ho Chi Minh City is still awaiting vaccine supply information from the Ministry of Health.

During this time, the city encourages people with immunization-age children to use in-service vaccines when available.

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