PM requests prompt settlement of medical supply shortages, health worker resignations

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính chaired a meeting on drugs supplies and human resoures for the healthcare sector on Thursday in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính demanded that shortages of drugs and medical supplies and resignations among health workers be promptly settled while chairing a meeting of the Government’s permanent members in Hà Nội on Thursday afternoon.

Explaining the drug and medical supply shortages in some localities and at central-level hospitals, the Ministry of Health (MoH) pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic, whose serious impacts in 2020 and 2021 led to the scarcity of materials for production and surging prices and subsequently made it more difficult to purchase medicine and medical supplies.

Notably, some localities and establishments were afraid that they may commit wrongdoings or undergo examination and inspection, so they didn’t dare buy supplies.

In addition, resignations among health workers in the public sector increased, the MoH said, blaming that on low salaries and allowances in the public health network, especially at preventive medicine and grassroots health facilities, as well as high pressure, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out.

PM Chính requested relevant ministries and sectors to have a thorough grasp of the situation, analyse causes, and coordinate closely to deal with the situation in a timely and effective manner.

He said the successful containment of COVID-19 helped recover and develop the economy and society quickly and sustainably. However, the pandemic remained complex in some countries while other outbreaks like dengue fever, monkeypox, and hand-foot-mouth disease had made the situation more complicated, the leader stressed.

Therefore, apart from increasing anti-COVID-19 capacity, it was also necessary to reserve drugs, medical supplies, and manpower for coping with other outbreaks and providing healthcare services for people, he said.

Stressing that caring for and protecting people’s health is the first and foremost task, PM Chính told the MoH to work with relevant agencies to review mechanisms, policies, and regulations on drug and medical supply procurement while actively dealing with obstacles.

He ordered ensuring transparency and preventing negative phenomena, corruption, and group interests in the tendering process; enhancing management in the health and pharmaceutical sector; simplifying drug authorisation procedures; boosting power decentralisation in drug and medical supply procurement; and increasing examination and supervision.

Regarding the resignations, the Government leader asked for overhauls to regulations on the health sector’s apparatus and manpower, perfecting the rules on public-private partnerships in the area, and pressing on with the practice of autonomy at public health establishments.

He also demanded relevant agencies re-assess the manpower imbalance among localities, medical facilities at different levels, and specialised branches to work out solutions while making plans to arrange sufficient personnel for medical examination and treatment in a scientific, rational, and effective manner. — VNS