Explaining and accepting the opinions of National Assembly deputies raised in the discussion session on the mobilization, management and use of resources for Covid-19 prevention and control; the implementation of policies and laws on grassroots health and preventive medicine on May 29, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan shared more about the change in classification of Covid-19 as well as solutions to remove difficulties in purchasing and ensuring the supply of medical equipment and biological products.

Minister Dao Hong Lan emphasized that this is the first time we have had a general view of resource mobilization for Covid-19 prevention and control, and the report has been carefully prepared, comprehensive, and concise on the results and difficulties, while clearly pointing out the causes and recommending solutions.

Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan thanked the leaders of the Party, State, National Assembly and Government for their close guidance and support for the health sector in recent times. At the same time, Minister Dao Hong Lan also expressed her gratitude for the contributions of the people and voters nationwide in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic - an unprecedented pandemic.

Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan.

The head of the Ministry of Health said that right after the pandemic was pushed back, in 2023, the National Assembly spent time selecting issues related to the health sector, epidemic prevention and control work to evaluate the implementation, draw lessons to propose what has been done and what has not been done, thereby helping the health sector recover, consolidate and further develop, in order to meet the increasingly high health care needs of a country with more than 100 million people.

Minister Dao Hong Lan expressed that in extremely difficult conditions for the country, although not having abundant resources like developed countries, the Party and State have paid attention and devoted all the most precious resources to epidemic prevention and control work.

Explaining further the opinions of delegates on the change from group A disease to group B disease for the Covid-19 epidemic, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan said that on May 5, 2023, the World Health Organization announced that the Covid-19 epidemic was no longer a public health emergency of global concern, but the pandemic was not over.

"Implementing the Prime Minister's direction, the Ministry of Health is also coordinating with ministries and branches to review legal regulations, refer to the experience of countries around the world and review practical measures to implement the work of preventing and controlling the Covid-19 epidemic in Vietnam; The Ministry of Health has chaired with ministries and branches to build a dossier to change the disease classification from group A infectious diseases to group B infectious diseases," said the Minister of Health.

Minister Dao Hong Lan also added that it is expected that this weekend, the Prime Minister will chair the National Steering Committee on Covid-19 Prevention and Control to discuss this issue.

Regarding solutions to remove difficulties in purchasing and ensuring the supply of medical equipment and biological products, especially after the post-Covid-19 period, Minister Dao Hong Lan said that the Government has directed the drafting of many documents to submit to the National Assembly for consideration, promptly issuing many documents to remove difficulties and obstacles in purchasing and bidding for chemicals, biological products, supplies and medical equipment.

To fundamentally resolve the shortage of drugs and medical equipment, the Government has directed ministries and branches to submit to the National Assembly amendments to the Law on Bidding and the Law on Prices. The Ministry of Health is completing documents to submit to the National Assembly amendments to the Law on Pharmacy and the Law on Health Insurance, etc.

According to the Minister of Health, after 4 times of adjusting and extending the drug, up to now, more than 10,500 drugs have been extended. Regarding the drug supply in our country, there are up to 22,000 items. Up to this point, the shortage of drugs for medical examination and treatment has basically been resolved.

Minister Dao Hong Lan also affirmed that the Ministry of Health accepted all opinions of delegates and said that, implementing the direction of the Central Party Secretariat, the Ministry of Health is completing the dossier on building a Directive on developing grassroots healthcare in the new situation.

"This Directive dossier is being prepared to be submitted to the Secretariat for a meeting and approval in June 2023 with many contents related to the organizational model, implementation mechanism, implementation methods...", Minister Dao Hong Lan informed.

NGUYEN THAO