The Ministry of Health urges the procurement of drugs and medical supplies after the hospital ran out of drugs with health insurance

The Ministry of Health has just sent an urgent document to the Departments of Health of the provinces and cities, hospitals affiliated to the Ministry of Health, medical examination and treatment facilities under ministries and branches, the National Central Drug Procurement Center, the Department of Planning and Investment, and the Ministry of Health. Financial planning – Ministry of Health on urging procurement and bidding of drugs and medical supplies to meet the needs of medical examination and treatment under health insurance (HI).

As reflected by the media, in recent days there has been a shortage of drugs in the treatment of patients with health insurance. In order to ensure the interests of the participants of health insurance and not to interrupt the medical examination and treatment of the patients covered by the health insurance, the Ministry of Health proposes the units to conduct research and organize to fully and strictly comply with the provisions of the law on health insurance. Health insurance and related legal documents to meet the medical examination and treatment.

The Ministry of Health also requested the units to fully perform relevant responsibilities in accordance with the law on bidding, procurement of drugs and medical supplies, etc. to fully supply drugs and medical supplies. health insurance, ensuring the rights and interests of participants of health insurance.

Since the end of April 2022, many kidney transplant patients who are being monitored and treated at Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City have received notices that the hospital is lacking many anti-rejection drugs belonging to the health insurance group. Patients had to spend millions of dong to buy this medicine outside.

Cho Ray Hospital and Ho Chi Minh City Social Insurance have found a solution. It is expected that after the holiday, the patient will be provided with medicine. The reason is believed to be the delay in price negotiation in the centralized bidding for drugs.

Previously, the Ministry of Health said that the Drug Price Negotiating Council was actively negotiating the price of 66 brand-name drugs, including anti-rejection drugs used for kidney transplant patients. Price negotiation requires a large amount of information related to each negotiated drug and requires coordination with many ministries and sectors.

Negotiating a large number of generic brand name drugs for the first time along with limited human resources for price negotiation, mainly part-time, are also difficulties affecting the progress of negotiations. price.

Linh Giao

Buy medicine from health insurance outside because Cho Ray Hospital runs out of medicine, can patients get a refund?Kidney transplant patients at Cho Ray Hospital are looking to buy drugs outside at a cost of millions of dong. While in the past, they only had to pay a few hundred thousand because the drug was covered by Health Insurance (HI).