A medical worker gives vaccination to a baby in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo Minh Quyết

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Finance (MoF) has said that provinces and cities will ensure vaccines for the expanded programme on immunisation this year.

The MoH set out the details in document No 5609/BTC-HCSN which has been sent to the Government Office.

Under the document, the MoF declared that after the Prime Minister approved three national target programmes last year, the MoF reviewed legal regulations for allocating funds for vaccines in the expanded programme for immunisation.

There is no regulation that the central budget will ensure funding for the vaccines in expanded vaccination.

The purchase will be conducted based on the Law on State Budget, in which funds for vaccines in localities are allocated by the local budget.

On that basis, last year the MoF sent three documents to discuss with the Ministry of Health (MoH) about the problem.

The MoF requested the MoH set estimates for this year and have instructions for localities to implement the programme.

If necessary, the MoH can consider and allocate the central budget to purchase certain drugs and vaccines for children under five years old.

The MoF also sent an official dispatch to provincial and municipal people's committees to guide a number of tasks under the health-population target programme in the 2016-20 period.

The MoH has so far received letters from 16 provinces and cities reporting difficulties.

Localities mainly have problems with expanded immunisation vaccines, tuberculosis drugs, antiretroviral (ARV) and vitamin A.

They proposed the MoH conduct bidding and negotiate prices.

The MoF suggested the MOH guide localities to conduct their work based on Document No 10095/BTC/HCSN issued on October 4 last year.

To have enough vaccines for the expanded programme on immunisation, the MoF proposed the Government Office to consider allocate budget for the MoH from the central budget reserve. — VNS