A woman buys medicine at a drugstore in Vĩnh Yên City, the northern province of Vĩnh Phúc. — VNA/VNS Photo Hoàng Hùng

HÀ NỘI — Experts at a seminar on drug and medicine supplies have called on ministries to submit proposals to the government that will remove bottlenecks causing the current shortage seen across the sector.

Nguyễn Huy Quang, former director of the Department of Legislation under the Ministry of Health (MoH), said that the shortage of drugs and medical equipment was serious.

Quang believes the COVID-19 pandemic is partly to blame, driving up consumption while disrupting supply chains.

Furthermore, agencies are hesitant in bidding.

“We lack knowledgeable staff in the field of medicine and bidding. Many businesses do not participate in the bidding due to the low price. This does not ensure their revenue, which affects the supply of drugs and medical supplies," said Quang.

Associate professor Đào Xuân Cơ, director of Bạch Mai Hospital, said prices posted on the MoH’s portal were declared by businesses, and ministries were not responsible for them.

This was a concern for hospital directors when evaluating drug and medical equipment prices.

“We need an inter-sector agency to be responsible for prices, not letting businesses set prices themselves. They set unreasonable prices”, he said.

He said legal documents should be useful and convenient tools for hospitals and medical stations in bidding for drugs and medical supplies.

Quang suggested combining immediate and long-term solutions to solve the shortage of drugs and medical supplies.

Ministries should urgently complete and submit to the government documents on the draft resolution to ensure the supply of drugs and medical equipment.

Bùi Thị An, a former member of the National Assembly, suggested the Government check policies and if there are any problems, they should be reviewed and revised. — VNS