Representative Nguyen Anh Tri ( Hanoi City National Assembly Delegation) delivered a speech in the assembly hall.

Speaking at the discussion session, delegate Nguyen Anh Tri (Hanoi City National Assembly Delegation) basically agreed with the report of the National Assembly Standing Committee. Delegate Nguyen Anh Tri highly appreciated the efforts of the Ministry of Health , and the Minister of Health personally, in resolving pressing and difficult issues for voters and the people.

Delegates noted that population officials in general, and especially those at the grassroots level, have faced many disadvantages, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ministry of Health has now issued Official Letter No. 5492 regarding the reclassification and reassignment of duties for population officials. This is a relatively timely action. Delegates requested that the Ministry of Health inspect and urge the Departments of Health to strictly implement this official letter.

Regarding the issue of localized shortages of medicines and medical supplies at public hospitals in some provinces and cities, the delegate emphasized that this phenomenon has been mentioned many times in reports and has also been discussed and questioned numerous times at the Session. The Ministry of Health has made great efforts to address this through necessary legal documents to promote the procurement of medical equipment to serve medical examination and treatment. The delegate requested that provinces and localities urge, inspect, and organize the procurement of equipment to ensure sufficient and appropriate supplies, thereby guaranteeing good conditions for healthcare and medical examination and treatment for the people.

Regarding health insurance, Representative Nguyen Anh Tri mentioned that voters have expressed many concerns about the inconvenience, time-consuming, and tiring process of patients having to obtain referral letters when going for medical examinations. Representative Nguyen Anh Tri argued that information technology has advanced and the sharing of test results, functional examinations, and diagnostic imaging is now quite seamless.

"Currently, with over 93% of Vietnam's population having health insurance, the additional 'barrier to obtaining referral letters' should be abolished," a representative from the Hanoi delegation suggested.

Representative Nguyen Anh Tri also suggested accelerating the implementation of the referral system, making it more substantive, and that in the next amendment to the Health Insurance Law, it should be ensured that those with health insurance can receive medical treatment anywhere they want, in accordance with their medical condition, the quality of examination and treatment, travel time, and care conditions. According to the representative, this should be considered the most important amendment in this revision.

Regarding the total payment amount or spending limit of the health insurance fund for medical examination and treatment facilities over a period of one year, according to Representative Nguyen Anh Tri, this has been adjusted by Government Decree 75/2023. This means that health insurance medical examination and treatment services will be reimbursed according to actual needs; the medical facility will only reimburse for the services, drugs, chemicals, and supplies provided.

According to delegate Nguyen Anh Tri, the issuance of this decree has put an end to the cumbersome procedures in medical examination and treatment that have dragged on for many years. The delegate hopes to continue monitoring and promoting the effective implementation of the decree's contents, ensuring they do not become corrupted.

Regarding the addition of medications to the health insurance list, delegate Nguyen Anh Tri proposed that medications for male diseases, which have been included in the World Health Organization's international classification of diseases, should be covered by health insurance.

The delegates further suggested that when amending the Health Insurance Law in the near future, attention should be paid to the list of drugs covered by health insurance, because the choice of medication and treatment regimen should be based on the patient's condition, severity of the disease, experience, and advancements in global medical science... in order to achieve the best possible results for the patient.
"The list of drugs and treatment protocols should be decided by the medical sector, healthcare facilities, and the Ministry of Health. Patients should use whichever drug or treatment protocol they find correct and effective, and health insurance should reimburse accordingly. Let's not have a list of drugs covered by health insurance anymore," Representative Nguyen Anh Tri stated.

Representative Nguyen Huu Thong, from the National Assembly delegation of Binh Thuan province, delivered his remarks during the discussion session.

Also speaking on the issue of healthcare, delegate Nguyen Huu Thong (National Assembly delegation from Binh Thuan province) pointed out that during the COVID-19 outbreak, with many cases occurring continuously, procurement according to regulations faced many difficulties due to social distancing. Therefore, units that borrowed medical supplies, disinfectants, and chemicals from suppliers and private businesses have not yet paid for them due to procedural obstacles.

Therefore, voters in the healthcare sector have requested that relevant authorities provide guidance on debt repayment for units involved in the purchase and borrowing of medical equipment and disinfectants for COVID-19 prevention and control. Specifically for Binh Thuan province, Representative Nguyen Huu Thong stated that this debt amounts to over 91 billion VND.

According to the delegates, the National Assembly issued Resolution 99 on supervision, assigning the Government and the Ministry of Health to research solutions to overcome difficulties and obstacles. However, according to the Government's report, the Ministry of Health has yet to issue guiding documents to address this inadequacy.

"It can be said that local health facilities are facing many difficulties and obstacles in repaying debts. Creditors are anxiously waiting, and debtors are anxiously waiting for guidance. I request that the Government and the Ministry of Health issue guidance soon," suggested delegate Nguyen Huu Thong.

Representative Nguyen Lan Hieu (National Assembly Delegation of Binh Dinh province) speaks in the debate.

Speaking about the unpaid debts of hospitals and medical facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic, Representative Nguyen Lan Hieu (National Assembly Delegation of Binh Dinh province) affirmed that this is a prominent issue not only in Binh Thuan province but also in the vast majority of provinces and cities where the pandemic broke out, affecting not only medical supplies and medicines but also meals, laundry, oxygen, compressed air, etc.

Representative Nguyen Huu Thong proposed that the Ministry of Health issue guidelines, but Representative Lan Hieu argued that this alone is insufficient. Representative Nguyen Lan Hieu pointed out that the government can only set principles and direct localities to conduct reviews independently, but always with the phrase "in accordance with the law." Therefore, the representative believes that everything will remain stagnant.

Therefore, delegate Nguyen Lan Hieu suggested that the Ministry of Health should issue detailed guidelines on specific items and their use in epidemic control, and that localities should provide strong support to the health sector through resolutions of the People's Councils, resolving outstanding issues after the pandemic so that the health sector can confidently continue its mission of caring for the people's health.

According to VNA