Proposing to investigate the ‘deal’ of purchasing more than 12 billion VND of Viet A test kit from CDC Hoa Binh

Inspectors of Hoa Binh province have submitted documents to the Ministry of Public Security and Provincial Public Security to investigate and clarify signs of law violations in the implementation of 8 bidding packages worth 12.3 billion VND to buy test kits from Viet A Company. .

The Inspectorate of Hoa Binh province issued an inspection conclusion on the procurement of medical equipment, supplies, biological products, test kits, vaccines, and drugs for the prevention and control of the Covid-19 epidemic in the province. many exist, limited, show signs of waste.

According to the inspection conclusion, in the period of 2020 – 2021, the procurement of medical supplies, equipment, biological products, test kits, assigned units in the Health sector, Public Security, Army, People’s Committees of districts , cities in the province basically implemented in accordance with regulations and timely… However, through inspection, it was discovered that there were still many shortcomings and limitations.

Typically, through the inspection, it was found that the COVID-19 rapid test service fee was applied by CDC Hoa Binh with a maximum price of 238,000 VND from July 1, 2021 to October 7, 2021, this is not true in the spirit of only of the Ministry of Health. The cause was pointed out due to the delay in promulgating documents guiding medical units to collect money for COVID-19 rapid test services under the direction of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Ministry of Health.

On the other hand, the inspection agency assessed, on how to calculate the price of COVID-19 rapid test service, showed that, in addition to the cost of buying test kits, there are also costs of anti-epidemic materials, electricity and water, salary costs, etc. equipment depreciation expense…is not in accordance with regulations.

Expenses related to taking samples, returning test results, consumables, labor costs, medical facilities spending and finalization according to current state budget decentralization on epidemic prevention and control funding and not implement on-demand service rates for COVID-19 testing. As a result, the General Hospital, the provincial CDC and 10 medical centers in the districts and cities charged more than VND 12 billion for the COVID-19 rapid test service, the amount is still kept at the State Treasury. .

Notably, the inspection conclusion also said that CDC Hoa Binh purchased 26,262 test kits manufactured by Viet A Technology Joint Stock Company with a value of 12.3 billion VND, purchased directly at Viet A and Equipment Co., Ltd. Tam Viet Medical and Scientific equipment is in accordance with the order prescribed by law.

Inspectors of Hoa Binh province have not discovered any violations of this procurement process, but the test kit of Viet A Company is reflected in the phenomenon of over-price raising and commission deduction for procurement units that the police are investigating. Therefore, the Inspector of Hoa Binh province handed over all documents of 8 procurement packages of Hoa Binh CDC to the Ministry of Public Security and Hoa Binh Provincial Public Security for investigation and clarification.

In addition, when compared with Circular 25 dated February 17, 2014, stipulating general pricing methods for goods and services, 3 procurement packages for rapid COVID-19 testing implemented by the Department of Health. Currently, it shows that the profit margin of the intermediaries providing rapid test Flowflex Sars Cov-2 Antigen Rapid and Test Antigen are very high.

Compared with the import price, the profit margin of these two items is 73.57% and 62.25%, respectively, the domestically produced Trueline test has a profit margin of 17.68%.

Currently, the inspector of Hoa Binh province has proposed to the provincial People’s Committee leader to direct the police agency to investigate and clarify whether the Peace CDC has taken advantage of the epidemic situation to raise money for profit. At the same time, the Department of Finance and relevant agencies were assigned to consider and advise the Provincial People’s Committee to handle the amount of more than 12 billion COVID-19 rapid test fees collected in excess of the regulations of the Ministry of Health.