Before, VSS received MOH’s Official Letter on giving opinion on payment of technical service performed by borrowed machines by the winning units of materials and chemicals.

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At the same time, technical services performed by borrowed machines by the winning units of materials and chemicals continued paying. Contractor selection result must be approved by competent authorities according to the provisions of the Bidding Law. Performance time is in accordance with time limit in the materials and chemicals buying contract.

VSS sent MOH’s official letter to provincial social security offices, Social Security of Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Public Security to organize, review and pay technical services’ fee under Health insurance Law’s regulation and Decree 146 that is regulated and guided methods to execute some articles in Health Insurance Law.

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Besides, VSS requested MOH to early issue document on directing and guiding units to build plan, route for changing from the form of borrowing machines to the forms prescribed in the Decree 151 detailedly regulating some articles in Law on management and use of public property.

At the same time, VSS requested MOH to clearly regulate that medical examination and treatment facilities shall take charge in legality, quality of health service.

The Ministry of Health affirms that the current payment of health insurance for leased and borrowed machines is being implemented according to the guidelines in Official Letter No. 6807/BYT-BH dated November 9, 2018, from the Ministry of Health, and is not related to the cancellation of Official Letter No. 2009/BYT-KHTC.

Regarding the cancellation of Official Letter No. 2009/BYT-KHTC from the Ministry of Health, on the morning of May 15, the Ministry of Health issued a press release regarding the implementation of bidding procedures, chemicals, and the leasing or borrowing of machines.

According to the Ministry of Health, in recent years, the demand for medical equipment from healthcare facilities, especially those providing medical examination and treatment services, has been very high. However, funding from the state budget, ODA loans, aid, and the development funds for the activities of the units are very limited and do not meet actual needs. To meet the medical examination and treatment needs of the people, healthcare facilities have implemented many solutions to ensure they have the equipment needed to fulfill their duties and ensure that people receive quality services. Among these solutions is the arrangement where the unit winning the bidding for supplies and chemicals brings in or lends machines.

To ensure the payment of health insurance (HI) for this form of arrangement while also complying with regulations on the management and use of public assets, the Ministry of Health issued Official Letter No. 2009/BYT-KHTC on April 12, 2018, to the Vietnam Social Security regarding the payment for medical examination and treatment costs using borrowed or leased machines.

Following that, on October 2, 2018, the Ministry of Health and Vietnam Social Security reached an agreement on the payment in Notification No. 1039/TB-BYT-BHXH, which clearly stated: "It is agreed to continue to pay for health insurance costs for medical services performed using machines provided by the unit winning the bidding for supplies and chemicals for lease or placement according to the contractor selection results as per the Bidding Law and the signed contract; after the contract ends, if the service continues, it must be in accordance with the regulations of Decree No. 151/2017/ND-CP dated December 26, 2017, of the Government, detailing several articles of the Law on Management and Use of Public Assets. Healthcare facilities must follow professional procedures in the usage of these services."

The Ministry of Health issued Official Letter No. 6807/BYT-BH on November 9, 2018, sending Notification No. 1039/TB-BYT-BHXHVN to all units and localities, and to date, no document has been issued to cancel Notification No. 1039/TB-BYT-BHXHVN.