Having to buy your own bed sheets for kidney stone surgery: "What's the point of having health insurance?"

After the case of Mr. NVN (59 years old) having 100% health insurance, but the provincial hospital in Binh Duong asked him to go out and buy many medical supplies and pay for them himself was published by Dan Tri newspaper, many readers across the country said they had been in similar situations.

"What is health insurance for?"

Reader Phuc Vu said: "In Nam Dinh province, we also have to buy syringes, bandages, and saline bottles, even though our family has 100% insurance." Meanwhile, reader Nguyen Van Tuan shared that in Ha Dong (Hanoi), his father had to buy a scalpel for the doctor himself when he went for treatment.

Ms. M. had to go outside the hospital to buy bed sheets for her father (Photo: Family provided).

Reader Nga Tran suggested that the authorities go to Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital to investigate why in the middle of the night the mother was asked to buy catheters, wires, and breathing tubes for her child's treatment. Meanwhile, young children enjoy 100% health insurance.

Reader Vo Cong Tam said that when his father went to get tested for gout and diabetes, the hospital in Vinh Long province told him that they ran out of test solvents and had to go to a private clinic outside to have it done.

Mr. Tran Nam Van said that currently, doctors who prescribe medical supplies and medicines from outside often remind the patient's family members which store to go to, because if they go elsewhere, they will not be able to buy them.

This reader asks: Is there a secret collusion between pharmacies and doctors to get commissions?

Doctor Nguyen Tuan Anh, working at a provincial hospital, shared that no medical staff wants to wait for patients to buy "this or that" when treating them, because they are not sure of the right type. Seeing patients in difficulty is very sympathetic.

"What needs to change now is the above policy mechanism. The treatment person cannot change," this doctor commented.

Many readers everywhere said that they were asked by hospitals to go out and buy medicine and medical supplies themselves (Illustration: TM).

Speaking with Dan Tri reporter, Ms. M., daughter of patient NVN, confirmed that many patients who came to Binh Duong General Hospital to treat kidney stones did not know that the hospital was lacking supplies beforehand.

She and her family also want her father to be treated at the provincial level to avoid overload at the upper level.

"I wonder why the hospital lacks so many supplies. I am also a consultant for buying health insurance and many other types of insurance for customers in Ho Chi Minh City. The government also promotes that people should buy health insurance to enjoy social benefits.

But when I go to the hospital, I have to pay for insurance out of my own pocket, so what's the point of having health insurance?", Ms. M. shared.

The private pharmacy where Ms. M. bought medical supplies for her father (Photo: TM).

There are no instructions for paying for medical supplies that patients purchase themselves?

According to records, the shortage of medical supplies due to difficulties in purchasing and bidding not only occurs at Binh Duong General Hospital but also exists in some neighboring provincial hospitals.

Informing Dan Tri reporter, Doctor Nguyen Thai Binh, Deputy Director of Tay Ninh General Hospital said that this place is trying to overcome difficulties to ensure basic medical supplies for people's medical examination and treatment.

However, this place also lacks some medical supplies, such as phaco eye surgery supplies and bone fusion tools.

"We are trying to implement large packages of consumables. While waiting for bidding, the hospital has to purchase by designated bidding many times to meet the medical examination and emergency needs of the people.

"It is impossible to let patients buy gloves, oxygen, sutures... At all costs, the hospital must find a source to buy them," said Dr. Binh.

A patient's family had to go out and buy gloves, silk tape, IV lines... because the provincial hospital lacked medical supplies (Photo: Family provided).

The leader of Tay Ninh General Hospital said that the locality is discussing to increase the designated procurement level to 500 million VND/time. The hospital really hopes that this policy will be approved soon to better serve the treatment of patients.

Dr. Ngo Duc Tuan, Director of Dong Nai General Hospital, shared that there are some medical supplies that are too specialized, health insurance does not cover them, or in urgent cases for each surgery, patients treated here have to buy more from outside. However, these cases are very rare. Basic medical supplies are still available.

"If there was a serious shortage and the patient had to go out to buy, he would have immediately reported it to the hospital," Dr. Tuan affirmed.

Dan Tri reporter had an interview with Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Hang, Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Social Insurance to learn about the health insurance policy for patients who have to go outside the hospital to buy medical supplies.

People with health insurance register for medical examination in Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: Hoang Le).

Ms. Hang acknowledged that the delay in bidding has led to a shortage of drugs and medical supplies in some places, making the rights of people with health insurance cards not guaranteed. However, currently, the Ministry of Health's circular does not have instructions on payment for drugs and medical supplies that patients buy themselves during treatment.

However, for patients requiring surgery, except for the JJ catheter which must be paid for separately, supplies such as bed sheets, cotton, gauze, syringes, surgical gloves, surgical knives, IV lines, etc. are included in the bed price and the cost of performing the surgery or procedure covered by health insurance.

According to a representative of the Ho Chi Minh City Social Insurance, in case the patient has to go out to buy the above supplies, they can ask the treating hospital to refund the money.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/di-mo-soi-than-phai-tu-mua-ga-trai-giuong-co-bao-hiem-y-te-de-lam-gi-20231107120012572.htm