'Unleashing' public hospitals in purchasing medical goods and equipment

The Ministry of Health has just issued Circular 14/2023/TT-BYT to "untie" public hospitals regarding difficulties in procedures for developing bidding packages, especially determining prices for bidding packages for purchasing goods, materials, and medical equipment in the current urgent context.

Circular 14 overcomes the situation where some medical facilities have to buy the cheapest equipment - Photo: VGP/HM

Circular 14/2023/TT-BYT of the Ministry of Health specifies Resolution No. 30/NQ-CP dated March 4, 2023 of the Government to remove difficulties and obstacles in purchasing medical equipment at public health facilities.

Resolution No. 30/NQ-CP stipulates "allowing medical facilities to pilot the application of guidelines on developing bidding package prices in 2023" and assigns the Ministry of Health to develop and promulgate guidelines on developing bidding package prices for equipment in the first quarter of 2023.

According to Mr. Duong Duc Thien, Deputy Director of the Department of Planning and Finance (Ministry of Health), Circular 14 issued on June 30 will be effective for 6 months, from July 1 to December 31, 2023. From January 1, 2024, the amended Law on Bidding will take effect and relevant units will develop specific procurement documents in the health sector so that the policy is stable in the long term, meeting practical requirements.

Associate Professor, Dr. Dao Xuan Co, Director of Bach Mai Hospital - the northern region's final hospital - shared that Circular 14 is an important document that has resolved urgent difficulties related to determining the prices of bidding packages at public hospitals.

Previously, to determine the price of procurement packages for goods, materials, and medical equipment, hospitals had to have 3 quotations. In reality, there were machines, materials, and equipment that had only 1 or 2 suppliers on the market, so it was impossible to have 3 quotations as prescribed. Resolution 30/NQ-CP of the Government has resolved this difficulty.

Hospitals can now choose to purchase materials, goods, and equipment from only 1 or 2 suppliers and have the right to choose the characteristics and configuration of the machines, equipment, and medical supplies needed in the hospital, suitable for the hospital's finances.

"This is a very new point. Hospitals will avoid having to buy low-priced supplies, or when machinery and equipment break down, it is very difficult to purchase replacement parts... Currently, Circular 14 has basically solved these difficulties," Mr. Dao Xuan Co shared.

After a long time of working and waiting for instructions from the Ministry of Health, hospitals can now purchase goods and medical equipment according to Circular 14/2023/TT-BYT - Photo: VGP/HM

Leaders of many other hospitals also shared that, after a long time of working and waiting for the Ministry of Health's guidance circular, hospitals are now able to purchase goods and medical equipment according to Circular 14 to better serve patients.

The Circular also expanded the scope to the issue of repairing and maintaining medical equipment. Specifically, many high-tech machines used for daily imaging for people can only replace components of the original machine. Previously, if you wanted to repair or maintain, you had to have 3 quotes. Circular 14 clearly guides that in the case of machine maintenance, the hospital can have 1 to 2 quotes, the investor will assign the council to consider and choose without having to wait for 3 quotes.

Although they have been "untied", many hospitals are still worried about the lack of medical equipment and supplies in the coming time, because the supply from suppliers is currently lacking. There are even items that have been invited to bid many times, but only 1-2 contractors, or no contractors at all, participate. The reason is that the importer also has difficulty with the supply from abroad, so the supply is interrupted, there is no goods or the waiting time is very long.

New points of Circular 14

According to Mr. Duong Duc Thien, with Circular 14, when building the price of the bidding package for the procurement of goods and provision of services in the field of medical equipment, the investor will determine the bidding package price according to one of the following 3 methods:

Collect quotes provided by businesses selling goods and services in the medical equipment sector.

Survey the winning bid prices of similar goods and services on the National Bidding Network System.

Valuation results of competent state agencies and valuation enterprises.

This Circular stipulates that the first method used is the method of collecting quotations from suppliers. In case the investor uses two or more methods to determine the package price, the highest price can be selected, suitable to financial capacity and professional requirements.

Thus, it overcomes the situation where some medical facilities have to buy the cheapest equipment, but it does not meet professional requirements in medical examination and treatment.

When building the bid package price, the investor decides to establish a council, or requests the Department of Health to support the establishment of a council to select the list, requirements on features and basic technical requirements based on professional requirements to post the quotation request on the National Bidding Network System, or on the electronic information portal... within a minimum period of 10 days from the date of successful posting of information.

The investor shall base on the number of received quotations (including cases where only 1 or 2 quotations are received) and decide on the bid package price.

In case there are only 1 or 2 suppliers in the Vietnamese market, or to ensure compatibility in technology, copyright, or need to deploy immediately... the investor is allowed to send a quotation request directly to the supplier.

For the method of constructing the bid package price based on the results of the survey of winning bid prices of similar goods and services, the investor shall review the winning bid results posted on the National Bidding Network System within no more than 120 days from the date of submission for approval of the contractor selection plan.

For the method of price construction based on valuation results, the investor selects a valuation unit and uses the results provided by the valuation agency to construct the bid package price.

( According to baochinhphu.vn)

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