Vietnam Inspects Medical Equipment at Public Hospitals

The Ministry of Health has set up two inspections to check medical equipment at state-run hospitals in major cities, following a lot of concerns that some public hospitals in Vietnam have imported old equipments without clear origin. Inspectors will check medical equipments in hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, the central city of Da Nang, and the Mekong delta city of Can Tho. Many medical clinics in these cities have purchased equipment from private exporting companies. Inspectors will focus verifying the origin and exporters of the equipment as well as the quality, operation procedure of these machines and personnel to employ them. In addition, the ministry proposed the municipal and provincial people’s committees to enhance supervision and inspection over purchase of medical equipment at local hospitals to ensure quality and effectiveness. At present, 90% of medical equipment used in hospitals and medical stations in the country are imported from abroad. Up to 10,500 types of medical equipment are allowed to be imported into Vietnam, but the Ministry of Health is responsible for document checks only while direct testing on the equipment will be conducted by customs. This procedure has been creating loopholes in the management of medical equipment at hospitals. (VietnamPlus Aug 18)