Health Ministry plans higher hospital fees

Health Ministry plans higher hospital fees

QĐND – Friday, January 08, 2010, 19:0 (GMT+7)

The Ministry of Health has completed a draft decree which adjusts the current hospital fees to provide better health care treatment for patients, according to Minister Nguyen Quoc Trieu.

According to the minister, some types of medical treatment would be subject to an increase in cost to improve treatment quality at central and district-level hospitals.

The cost of services which require modern medical equipment and technology would be increased to balance out investment while services funded by the State’s budget would rise only slightly.

Viet-Duc (Vietnam-Germany) Hospital director Nguyen Tien Quyet said the current fees are not reasonable or proper.

For example, a liver operation requires tens of doctors and nurses and modern medical equipment, but the cost of 2-2.5 million VND (105-131 USD) is not enough, he said.

Nguyen Thanh Liem, head of the central Paediatric Hospital , said the current fees were set in 1995 and are no longer appropriate in 2010.

For example, a patient is charged 10,000 VND (0.5 USD) per day for a hospital stay while the real cost is around 296,000 VND (15 USD) per day.

However, many patients are concerned about the planned increase.

Nguyen Thi Thin, a cancer patient from northern Hung Yen province, said her first week of treatment cost her nearly 8 million VND (421 USD).

“I don’t know what to do if the fees keep rising. My disease is complicated and requires long-term treatment,” Thin said.

“Increasing fees must mean higher quality services and better doctors and nurses. Unless they can guarantee this, they shouldn’t increase them,” said patient Nguyen Phuong Linh.

The draft decree will be sent to ministries, agencies and hospitals for feedback before being submitted to the Government.

Source: VNA

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Health Ministry plans 1.5mil free doses of swine flu vaccine

Health Ministry plans 1.5mil free doses of swine flu vaccine

QĐND – Friday, October 30, 2009, 20:48 (GMT+7)

Deputy health minister Trinh Quan Huan said on October 29 that the ministry is about to submit to the government a plan to vaccinate around 500,000 highly-risk individuals against A/H1N1.

Huan said at first, free vaccination will be provided to 500,000 people, including pregnant women, those suffering chronic diseases and, healthcare workers treating A/H1N1 patients in some provinces and cities with high numbers of swine flu cases like Hanoi and HCM City. 

Nguyen Tran Hien, director of the Central Epidemiology Institute, said these people have to show documents proving their health conditions. 

Besides the above 500,000 vaccine doses, the World Health Organisation (WHO) will also supply Vietnam 1 million doses, although the date is yet to be fixed, Huan announced. 

Vietnam only permits the import of vaccines that are recommended by the WHO, which have been used safely in the US and Europe. 

GSK will start to import A/H1N1 vaccine to Vietnam from  December 2009. 

Source: VietNamNet/Tuoi Tre 

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Health ministry asked to comment on controversial brain surgery

Controversy over a new type of brain surgery for epileptic patients, being performed at a hospital in the country’s central region, is putting pressure on the Ministry of Health (MoH) to make an official statement on the procedure’s efficacy.

Dr. Pham Ty from the central province of Binh Dinh has carried out surgery on epileptic patients since 2002

In reports to the MoH, Dr. Pham Ty, director of the Binh Dinh General Hospital in the central province of the same name, says he has performed the brain surgery on a total of 55 epileptic patients since 2002.

The France-trained doctor says 24 of the cases have experienced complete remission of seizures, accounting for 43.6 percent of the total; 21 continue to experience mild fits during sleep (30.9 percent); seven have seen their seizures decrease by 50 percent, and three have died.

Dr. Ty, arrived with colleagues in Ho Chi Minh City October 24 to check on epilepsy patients who had recently undergone the surgery at Binh Dinh hospital.

Lam Van Ve, the father of 32-year-old patient Lam Van Viet from the southern province of Vung Tau, told the surgeon that since the operation, his son has suffered fewer seizures.

Viet, who was healthy throughout his youth, saw his world turned upside down after he contracted Japanese encephalitis, a viral disease spread by infected mosquitoes that can affect the central nervous system and cause severe complications including seizures.

Viet’s family took him to several hospitals including some in China, but he continued to suffer convulsions for long periods at a time.

As a last resort, his relatives took him to the Binh Dinh Hospital on July 28. Miraculously, says Viet, his health appeared to improve almost immediately after the operation with far fewer seizures than before.

In a similar case, Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh from HCMC’s District Binh Chanh, said her 39-year-old son Tran Ngoc Tam had suffered from recurrent seizures and taken anti-epileptic drugs for years with no improvement.

Her sister in the US was filing paperwork to bring Tam overseas for treatment when by chance, she saw an article about Dr. Ty and the new surgery in a newspaper.

Tam’s family says that following the operation, he has shown good results, shaking hands and being able to speak with people.

Another elderly patient, Ms. Phan Thi Bach Yen, was told by Vietnamese doctors she could not be helped. Appealing to French and American clinics, she was also told they could do nothing to help her. 

Persevering, she sought out the services of Dr. Ty and underwent brain surgery on June 26. Ms. Yen says that in addition to gaining around 6 kilograms, her seizures now last only 1-2 seconds and her memory has improved significantly

Dr. Ty told Sai Gon Giai Phong that Vietnam has a high rate of epilepsy. The mortality rate of the disease is 10-30 percent with another 3 percent of deaths due to adverse reactions to anti-seizure medications.

The success rate of brain surgeries at Binh Dinh Hospital is 74.5 percent, says Dr. Ty, equal to international rates.

The surgery, which is also performed in other countries, has been contentious in Vietnam as the Health Ministry has not officially approved the procedure.

Meanwhile, some patients who paid out-of-pocket for the operation, say they are not happy with the results.

Source: SGGP Bookmark & Share

Ministry to raise State salaries by 12.3%

Ministry to raise State salaries by 12.3%

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung has asked the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to co-operate with the Ministry of Finance to adjust salaries and allowances for 2010. Under the plan, the basic monthly salary for workers and State employees, as well as retired officials and people who have made contributions to the revolution, will be raised by 12.3 per cent.

Nguoi Lao Dong (The Labourer)

Nation exports 50,000 guest workers

For the first eight months of the year, 46,000 guest workers were sent to work overseas by labour export companies, according to the Overseas Labour Management Department of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs. Taiwan received the highest number, with 13,000 guest workers, followed by South Korea, with 5,549; Japan, 3,793; United Arab Emirates, 3,051; and Libya, 2,660.

Thanh Nien (Young People)

Pressure for new schools in HCM City

HCM City’s District 8 authorities have asked the municipal People’s Committee for money to build new schools. Dong Thi Kim Vui, secretary of the district’s party committee, said total capital for the project would be VND67 billion (US$3 million) .

Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Sai Gon)

Foot-and-mouth disease breaks out again

Foot-and-mouth disease has affected cattle in 22 communes in Quang Ngai, Quang Tri, Dak Lak and Dak Nong provinces, the Animal Health Department has said. The department blamed the outbreak on the ineffective quarantining of imported cattle from Laos.

Thoi Bao Kinh Te Viet Nam (Vietnam Economic Times)

Source: vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn

Ministry cracks down on drug advertising

HCM CITY—The Ministry of Health has issued new strict regulations to limit the marketing and advertising of drugs.

Advertising for prescription drugs, vaccines and prophylactic medicines is prohibited—including ads for drugs to treat tuberculosis, leprosy, sexually transmitted diseases, insomnia, cancer, diabetes and other disorders.

Ads for cosmetics, health supplements and non-drug products that comsumers might mistake for drugs are also banned.

Also banned are ads for certain non-prescription drugs that the Government says should only be taken on a limited basis.

Additionally, ads incorporating persuasive elements like doctors’ testimonials and instructions, the results of clinical studies, and the symbols and names of health and medical organisations are also prohibited.

As for advertising content, it must be objective, scientific, accurate, honest and clear. The language and script must be in Vietnamese unless the international words or trademarks are unreplacable. Pharmaceutical companies must be the ones who supply and write the drug information.

Companies promoting drugs that legally circulate in other countries but haven’t yet been approved in Viet Nam must hold introductory seminars for health officials.

The regulation is effective 45 days from September 1. —

Source: vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn

Ministry to raise investor costs for building on farmland

Farmers tend crops in Yen Hung District of the northern province of Quang Ninh. Land compensation rates for arable land would be double those of residential land to protect food supplies, under a draft regulation. — VNA/VNS Photo Minh Dong

Ha Noi — The Government is to consider a plan to raise the compensation of arable land to twice that of residential land to protect food supplies.

The decree is being drafted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and expected to be submitted to the Government in November.

It is designed to discourage investors from acquiring land that has been used to grow rice in a bid to boost food production.

Nguyen Tri Ngoc, head of the Department of Crop Production under MARD, said landowners would also have to be compensated for any infrastructure on their property.

“Viet Nam has more than 9 million hectares of agricultural land, of which more than 4 million hectares is for rice cultivation,” he said.

However, the amount of land used to grow rice had decreased at an alarming rate, Ngoc said, adding that annually about 74,000ha of agricultural land was used to build houses, new urban areas and industrial zones.

According to the department, Viet Nam will not produce enough rice to export by 2020 if agricultural land continues to be lost at its current rate.

Phan Huy Thong, deputy head of the department, said that local authorities earned more in taxes when land was developed and that the Government should find a way of boosting provincial budgets in areas where rice was grown.

He also said that farmers should be compensated by the State for lost productivity, estimated at 50 per cent, due to natural disasters and epidemics.

He said they should also be given interest-free loans to invest in machinery.

The Government sets the minimum sale price for rice each season, which guarantees farmers at least a 40 per cent profit.

When the market price falls below the Government’s price, preferential credit rates are given to buyers.

Thong added that “farmers were free to sell their rice if the market price was higher than the floor price.”

Mixed reactions

According to Decision 62-2008/QD-UBND of the municipal People’s Committee on regulating the price of land in Ha Noi this year and Decision 18-2008/QD-UBND on regulating resettlement compensation in Ha Noi, the land for rice cultivation in Tien Xuan Commune was valued at VND105,000 (US$6) per square metre while the price of land for housing was VND1.5 million ($90) in the area.

If the draft law is passed, developers in Ha Noi would have to pay $180 per square metre of rice paddy.

However, the draft law has received mixed reactions.

Chu Thi Nga, a farmer in Ngai Cau Village in Ha Noi’s Hoai Duc District, said she would be happy to sell her 1,080sq.m of agricultural land if she was suitably compensated.

However, Vu Huy Khoi, a farmer in village in Ha Nam Province’s Duy Tien District, said he had had his land appropriated by the local authority for an industrial zone.

Khoi said he received VND42 million (US$2,400) in compensation but feared for his livelihood.

Ngoc said that sanctions might also be imposed on firms that developed former paddy field for housing or business premises.

According to MARD, food production in Viet Nam has increased over the last few years.

In 2000, total food production was 38.1 million tonnes. In 2008, 52.4 million tonnes was produced.

Tran Xuan Dinh, deputy director of the Agriculture and Rural Development Department in Thai Binh Province, said that the province had lost 4,000 to 5,000ha of paddy fields to industrial zones.

He said farmers could not make much money from just two rice crops a year, and they stood to earn more from working in factories.

However, he said that once lost, agricultural land was irrecoverable.

“It takes millions of years to form alluvial soil for rice cultivation. It is easy to shift agricultural land to land for industrial production. However, it is impossible to reverse the process.” —

Source: vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn

Ministry moves to regulate OTC market

Ministry moves to regulate OTC market

© by Bizconsult Law Firm

Many unlisted companies in Viet Nam sell shares without complying with the law.

The Ministry of Finance confirmed in Official Letter No 14285/BTC-UBCK on November 26 that, during 2007-08, many companies have offered shares to the public without registering with the State Securities Commission (SSC) as required by Article 13 of the Law on Securities, or without satisfying the conditions for public offerings in accordance with Article 12 of the law.

In many of these instances, initial public offerings (IPOs) were conducted even without approval of a general shareholders meeting.

By issuing its Official Letter, the ministry is attempting to put an end to these messy and unlawful IPOs. It has requested local authorities to report violations to the ministry for application of possible sanctions. And the letter reiterates the hard-and-fast rule that public companies (as well as securities companies or brokerages) that offer shares to fewer than 100 specific investors and without publishing the offer in the mass media, must report to the SSC.

In an additional effort to regulate the over-the-counter (OTC) market, the ministry also issued Decision No 108/2008/QD-BTC on November 20, providing a framework for the OTC market as administered by the Ha Noi Securities Trading Center (HASTC). The regulation requires that transactions in unlisted securities must be conducted via member securities companies licensed by the SSC and reported to the registration system of the HASTC.

The decision requires registered public companies to register for securities depository with the SSC within six months of the effective date of the decision. Unregistered public companies must register for securities depository with the SSC within six months from the date of their registration to be public companies.

The regulation sets forth two methods for trading in shares of unlisted companies – by electronic means or direct negotiation. For electronic transactions, trading agents shall place orders on HASTC’s OTC system. For negotiated transactions, sellers and buyers shall agree on the conditions of the transaction, and the trading agent shall then confirm the transaction in the HASTC system.

Trading agents shall be appointed by securities companies who are licensed by the SSC. Permitted trading agents shall be allowed to place orders in the registration system of HASTC. The regulation is unclear on the type of trading licence and on whether a licensed listed-securities broker or agent is eligible to be a trading agent in unlisted securities without obtaining an additional licence.

Investors are not allowed to open more than one trading account for transactions in unlisted shares, although they may use the same account that they use for trading in listed securities. To discourage speculation, the regulation also prohibits investors from buying and selling the same securities within the same day, and limits share price fluctuations to no more than ± 10 per cent per day, although this may be adjusted by the SSC from time to time according to market conditions.

In contrast to the rules for listed shares, there is no 49-per-cent on foreign ownership of unlisted companies, although the Prime Minister has the authority to tighten this rule.

Unlike transactions in listed shares, payment for securities bought on the OTC market does not need to be made via securities companies or banks. However, buyers placing orders electronically for OTC shares must deposit sufficient funds with an HASTC member securities company to cover the costs of the order.

Finally, the new regulation imposes reporting requirements on OTC transactions, requiring members of the board of management, board of directors, and board of inspection, as well as the chief accountant, who wish to buy or sell shares in their company to report to the company and the HASTC at least one day prior to carrying out the transaction.

Shareholders and group of related persons who become major shareholders in a registered company must report to the HASTC within seven days of acquiring the shares. Transactions by major shareholders causing a change in ownership of more than 1 per cent of a company’s total circulating securities must also be reported to the HASTC.

All transactions by founding shareholders must also be reported to the HASTC at least one day prior to the transactions, and the results of the transactions must then also be reported to the HASTC within three days of completion. —

Policy development tops ministry meet

HA NOI — A new agricultural development strategy was needed for the next 12 years, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Cao Duc Phat, said yesterday.

However, he said that to achieve this, the Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agricultural and Rural Development (IPSARD) would have to be strengthened so that it could improve its capacity to carry out tasks independently.

The minister was speaking at a meeting in Ha Noi to plan an agricultural strategy from now until 2020.

Favourable

Phat said his ministry would create favourable cond-itions for the establishment of a stronger development institute.

According to IPSARD director Dang Kim Son, the institute could become the leading provider of analysis and policy-advice services for the Government and private sector on agriculture and rural development.

Son said there were plans to increase the IPSARD’s research activities and services, and provide consultancy services and training.

He said the institute hoped to diversify services for all kinds of customers, from short-term to long-term policy consultants, and make its service quality on a par with international standards.

“Our agricultural sector has been developing along with the country’s process of international integration, industrialisation and urbanisation,” Son said.

“(But) this is accompanied by serious environmental problems, a changing global climate and degraded natural resources.”

He asked for the agricultural ministry’s support to reform the institute and its infrastructure, capacity building and equipment.

“The ministry should handle problems related to institutional and administrative procedures,” he said.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Viet Thang said while Viet Nam was stepping into a period of comprehensive international integration, market competition and the global finance crisis had brought new challenges to agriculture.

This meant the sector had to boost the competitiveness of agricultural products, maintain high growth rates and change investment structures.

He asked the IPSARD steering committee to build the right policies for future years – and to make more accurate forecasts.

At the meeting, agricultural experts said Vietnamese agriculture had developed around exports and the international market.

They said as the world suffered from the financial crisis and climate change, Vietnamese agricultural policy makers had to constantly monitor and adjust mechanisms and policies.

According to experts, Viet Nam’s agriculture is challenged by a shortage of strategy and the slow adjustment of policies. —

Ministry issues rules for OTC market

HA NOI — The Ministry of Finance has issued a regulation on over-the-counter (OTC) stock transactions at the Ha Noi Securities Trading Centre (HASTC).

Under the regulation, the minimum allowed transaction volume in unlisted shares traded through HASTC would be 10 shares or bonds, and new shares registered for their first day of transactions would be traded electronically only by the negotiation method, without using a daily trading band.

Thereafter, there would continue to be no daily trading band for bonds, while shares would be able to trade within a 10 percent band.

Whether foreign investors would be allowed to participate will depend on a decision by the Prime Minister.

Other regulatory provisions regarding the OTC market are similar to those governing the listed market. For instance, investors are allowed to open a single trading account and are not allowed to buy and sell shares under the same code during the course of a single day. —

Ministry lays down price controls

Rice is sold at Tran Chanh Chieu market in HCM City. Rice is among 15 essential commodities which will be under price controls if it escalates beyond a reasonable limit. — VNA/VNS Photo Van Khanh

HA NOI — The Ministry of Finance will begin controlling the prices of 15 essential commodities, according to a directive issued early this week.

Under Directive No 104/2008/TT-BTC, the ministry will take measures to stabilise the prices of these commodities when necessary, particularly in the case of natural disasters, fires, epidemics, economic crises or monopoly price-fixing.

The list includes petrol, steel, gas, fertiliser, cement, rail fares, drugs and veterinary medicines, pesticides, rice, salt, milk, sugar and animal feed.

The ministry will control these prices through market and authoritative measures, including adjusting supply and demand, goods, and financial and monetary measures if they increase by 15-20 per cent within 15 consecutive days. These measures can be applied for all of the commodities listed except for petrol.

For petrol, the Government will continue to follow Decree No55/2007/ND-CP issued in April 2007. According to the decree, the Government allows petrol distributors and dealers to set retail prices. However, the Government continues to monitor and can adjust prices if they become too high. It will also interfere if there are signs of a monopoly or stockpiling of oil to raise prices.

Under this decree, businesses who want to increase petrol prices must register with finance, and industry and trade ministries one or two days in advance. The two ministries can ask the companies to reconsider their decision if the price is not justifiable.

As for the list of commodities, if their prices are considered unreasonable, the finance ministry will be able to suspend prices set by businesses and force them to sell their products at the last price considered reasonable.

The ministry will take measures against violators including fines, confiscation of profits from price increases or the withdrawal of business licences.

Under the new directive, other than the 15 commodities listed, businesses dealing in 20 other products and services were also instructed to register their prices with authorities. Another eight products were instructed to have price labels on the package. —