Bidding for drugs and medical supplies, hospitals are allowed to choose good products even at the highest price

Decree 24 specifically stipulates that the health sector can select the highest quotation to make the bid price - Illustrative photo

The highest quote is selected to make the bid price.

Regarding determining the bid price, Decree 24 stipulates that collecting quotations is one of seven bases for determining the bid price.

In the medical field, in case there is more than one quotation, the hospital can choose the highest quotation that is suitable for its financial capacity and professional requirements to make the bidding price. Meanwhile, for other fields, only the average value of the quotations can be used as the bidding price.

The above regulations help hospitals choose good quality products that suit their professional needs and financial capabilities.

In addition, to ensure compliance with the specific characteristics of procurement at medical examination and treatment facilities, especially those in remote areas with few staff, Decree 24 also stipulates that it is possible to mobilize and assign work to specialized personnel (doctors, pharmacists, managers or invite officials from the Department of Health, the Ministry of Health and experts in the medical field) to participate in expert groups and appraisal teams to carry out procurement activities.

Overcoming the shortage of centralized bidding drugs

Regarding centralized drug bidding, to overcome the previous situation where only one bidder won the bid to supply drugs in large quantities and with a wide delivery range, leading to some cases where the bidder was unable to perform the contract, Decree 24 has added a provision allowing the selection of more than one winning bidder. Thus, if the first-ranked bidder is no longer able to supply, the investor can immediately sign a contract with the next-ranked bidder.

The investor is invited to bid in a way that allows bidders to offer quantities according to their supply capacity, not necessarily the exact quantity of drugs stated in the bidding documents.

In case the drug is on the list of centralized procurement but has not been organized for bidding, or has been organized but has not selected a contractor or the previously signed framework agreement has expired, the hospital is allowed to purchase according to the notice of the unit assigned to centralized procurement to meet the demand for use within a maximum period of 12 months and the health insurance fund will pay according to the contract price.

In addition, in case the contractor has won the bid (including the bid for the centralized bidding package) but during the contract implementation process cannot continue to supply drugs, the hospital is allowed to appoint another contractor to perform the remaining work of the bidding package, without any limit on the number of assigned bids.

The above regulation creates initiative and flexibility for hospitals in purchasing drugs for medical examination and treatment; basically overcoming the shortage of drugs in the list of centralized bidding at national and local levels.

The director has the right to make purchasing decisions.

The 2023 Bidding Law also specifically stipulates cases where hospital directors can make their own purchasing decisions without necessarily having to organize a bidding; allow bidding documents to state the origin of goods to select goods of good quality; apply the option of additional purchases to be able to purchase additional goods immediately without having to organize a bidding; negotiate prices, and purchase centrally with rare drugs, drugs that need to be purchased in small quantities (such as drugs to treat poisoning, venomous snake bites, etc.) and many other new contents.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha also directed the Ministry of Planning and Investment to coordinate with the Ministry of Health and relevant agencies to urgently submit to the Prime Minister a directive on enhancing the capacity to implement the 2023 Law on Bidding and Decree 24 to organize bidding for the procurement of medicines, supplies and medical equipment at public health facilities nationwide to promptly meet the needs of medical examination and treatment to serve the care and protection of people's health.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/dau-thau-thuoc-vat-tu-y-te-benh-vien-duoc-chon-hang-tot-du-gia-cao-nhat-20240229194342329.htm