Where is the Viet A test kit now?

In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020, the Ministry of Science and Technology held a press conference to announce the results of the research and manufacture of COVID-19 test kits led by the Military Medical Academy, in collaboration with the Ministry of Science and Technology. Viet A Technology Joint Stock Company (Vietnamese Company) implemented.

It is considered a national science and technology task, with a total funding of nearly 19 billion VND from the non-business scientific budget. At that time, the launch of RT-PCR and real-time RT-PCR biologic kits to detect the new strain of the 2019 Corona virus (2019-nCoV) was considered the pride of domestic companies, because these products were confirmed to be superior products. result of Vietnamese science and technology.

Defendant Phan Quoc Viet, Director General of Viet A Company and a number of defendants in this case

However, the hidden corners surrounding the above “scientific topics” are gradually revealed, ranging from the case of the Viet A Company’s price breach of the test kits, to corruption and embezzlement of the topic owner’s property. story of taking bribes from several local CDC directors…

Lieutenant General To An Xo, Head of Office and spokesman for the Ministry of Public Security, said that Phan Quoc Viet (Director General of Viet A Enterprises) had “shake hands” with partners to raise the price of test kits by about 45%. . In particular, the amount of “commissions” issued by Viet A Companies to “partners” reached almost 800 billion VND.

Senior Colonel Ho Anh Son, Researcher of 2 SARS-CoV-2 test kits, tried and detained

In particular, according to the General Customs Department, from September to December 2021, Viet A Companies imported 3 million kits from China, the stated price was 0.955 USD/set (about 21,560 VND/set), the total value of 64.7 billion VND. And public opinion once “retreated” because the largest Covid-19 test kit factory in Viet A in the country is only 10m wide.²…

Many areas have been exhausted

During the fourth COVID-19 outbreak, Binh Duong was the worst-affected area when it came to the number of cases and deaths after only Ho Chi Minh City. At the time of “hot water”, the Ministry of Health introduced to the provinces, including Binh Duong, a list of businesses selling test kits to detect SARS-CoV-2, including Viet A Company. .

After the Ministry of Health allocated 5,000 test kits produced by Viet A Company to Binh Duong, CDC Binh Duong purchased 3 times with a total of 72,000 test kits produced by Viet A at a unit price of 470,000 – 509,250 VND /set. In addition, CDC Binh Duong also approved the winning Viet A Company to assign a package of VND 6.9 billion, providing 50,000 kits from an American manufacturer for VND 250,000/test. The total amount to be paid for the offer package with Viet A in Binh Duong is more than 40 billion VND.

Talk to PV Tien PhongA representative from the Binh Duong Health Department said that when local residents bought test kits from the Viet A Company, the epidemic situation became complicated, so they had to buy that much. Therefore, before Viet A was investigated by the Ministry of Public Security, this company’s test kit in Binh Duong was no longer available.

In Thanh Hoa, in order to meet anti-epidemic needs, in August 2021, the Ministry of Health applied for a permit to the Provincial People’s Committee to purchase materials, biological products and chemicals to prevent COVID-19, including real-life testing products. RT-PCR time. After that, the province spent 28.2 billion VND to buy 60,000 kits (at a price of 470,000 VND/set) produced by the Viet A Company.

Trinh Huu Hung, Director of the Thanh Hoa Provincial Health Department, said that the number of biologic products that Thanh Hoa had purchased from the Viet A Company had run out a few months ago.

Mr. Nguyen Phuc Thien – Deputy Director of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) Hai Duong said that when the police agency investigated the case of test kit price inflation related to the Viet A Company, the unit basically used it. almost all related equipment and biological products. Since then, the investigative agency has not made any decisions regarding the recall and sealing of the remaining medical equipment from this company. It is known, Viet A Company has sold COVID-19 test kits to CDC Hai Duong through 5 contracts with a total value of 151 billion VND.

The Government Inspectorate has sent documents to ministries, branches, and local People’s Committees requesting reports on the implementation of the inspection program orientation and the 2022 inspection plans of ministries, central and regional branches in the context of the complicated COVID-19 outbreak; especially inspection of the procurement of medical devices, supplies, biological products, test kits, vaccines, medicines for the prevention and control of the COVID-19 outbreak. Earlier, the Government Inspectorate also announced a decision to inspect the procurement of medical equipment, biological supplies, test kits, vaccines and medicines to prevent the COVID-19 epidemic in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and the Ministry of Health.

In response to a reporter’s question about the number of test kits from the Viet A Company that CDC Dak Lak and Bac Giang previously purchased, where were they used, given to anyone or handed over to investigative agencies? Health Department leaders in Bac Giang and Dak Lak both declined to provide information as the case was being clarified by the investigative agency. According to reporter documents, CDC Dak Lak once purchased about 20,000 test kits from the Viet A Company, each test kit worth about 367,000 VND, the total amount is about 7 billion VND; and CDC Bac Giang purchased COVID-19 test kits manufactured by Viet A Company, with a total value of more than 148 billion VND.

Not enough supply?

Through PV . survey Tien Phong in several provinces such as Hanoi, Thanh Hoa, Bac Giang, Hai Duong, Hai Phong, Dak Lak… shows that the market for COVID-19 test kits is mainly imported from the US, Taiwan (China), China, Korea, Japan… Very little a place that sells products made in Vietnam.

Of the 5 drugstores surveyed in Bac Giang, only one shop sells products made in Vietnam, the rest sell products from abroad.

“Previously, we also bought COVID-19 test kits from domestic companies. However, market demand is huge, while “Made in Vietnam” products are not produced in sufficient quantities. On the other hand, the price of domestic goods is still volatile and unstable, so we don’t import domestic products anymore,” said Phan Thanh Trinh, general director of the Joint Pharmaceutical and Medical Supplies Company of Dak Lak. Recently, the company has mainly imported test kits. COVID-19 from abroad.

Regarding the procurement of test kits, recently, the People’s Committee of Dak Nong Province approved the contractor selection plan for the Ministry of Health with 6 bid packages for the procurement of health supplies, biological products, chemicals for epidemic prevention, but so far it has not been approved. results due to waiting for the announced price.

Therefore, the People’s Committee of Dak Nong Province proposes to the Government Service and the Ministry of Health to immediately guide the province to overcome difficulties and problems with the prices announced in the bidding and procurement of medical equipment (above). ).

To date, the Investigative Agency of the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of National Defense has indicted a total of 26 defendants related to violations in the case of “inflating the price” of testing equipment at a Viet A Company for the following crimes: Misuse of position and power in carrying out official duties; Violating the rules regarding bidding, leads to serious consequences; Giving bribes; Accepting bribes and embezzlement of property.

The defendants included: 4 key leaders of the Viet A Company; 5 Hai Duong Provincial CDC Director, Bac Giang, Nghe An, Thua Thien Hue, Binh Duong; 2 senior officers from the Military Medical Academy; 3 leaders and former heads of departments of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Science and Technology and 14 others related. In which, Colonel Ho Anh Son, project manager of two SARS-CoV-2 test kits, was charged and detained for the crimes of “Embustion of property” and “Abuse of position and power in law” while on duty”.

at Blogtuan.info – Source: Kenh14.Vn – Read the original article here