Joint Circular No. 72/TTLB guiding the contents and expenditure standards of the National Health Program.

JOINT CIRCULAR

JOINT CIRCULAR NO. 72-TTLT OF THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE AND HEALTH ON OCTOBER 14, 1997 GUIDING THE CONTENT AND EXPENSE RATES OF THE NATIONAL HEALTH PROGRAM

Implementing Decision No. 531/TTg dated August 8, 1996 of the Prime Minister on managing national programs; Circular No. 06 TT/LBKH-TC dated April 29, 1997 of the Joint Ministry of Planning-Investment and Finance guiding the implementation of Decision No. 531/TTg; Decision No. 862/TTg dated December 30, 1995 of the Prime Minister and Decision No. 125 BYT/QD dated February 1, 1996 of the Minister of Health on establishing the National Health Program (NHP); to manage and enhance the efficiency of fund usage for the objectives of the NHP, the Joint Ministry of Finance and Health guides the content and expense rates of the NHP as follows:

I. GENERAL PROVISIONS:

1. The NHP includes certain objectives prescribed by the State for each period of operation. The funds of the NHP are formed from sources including the State budget (SB), foreign aid, and other revenue sources as prescribed by the State. These funding sources are managed according to the Law on SB and the implementing regulations of the Law on SB.

2. The entities subject to this Circular are units using funds of the NHP.

3. Provincial People's Committees and municipal people's committees under the central government shall actively mobilize additional funds from individual contributions and social organizations to support activities of the objectives within the NHP.

II. FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT WORK OF THE NHP

A. CONTENT AND EXPENSE RATES OF THE NHP

1. Common expenditure items of the NHP:

1.1 Expenditure for program management and target management at the central level includes: expenditure on office supplies, office equipment, telephone and postal fees, inspection and evaluation trips, mid-term and final reviews, hiring of office staff of the program and targets, planning and defending plans.

Expenditures for program management and targets are budgeted annually, but the maximum amount shall not exceed 0.3% of the total SB investment funds allocated to the NHP.

1.2 Purchase of transportation means serving professional activities (cars, motorcycles, motorized boats, bicycles, etc.) after being approved by the competent authority.

1.3 Printing of professional and technical documents and forms.

1.4 Domestic and overseas training (if applicable).

1.5 Information education and communication.

1.6 Costs for receiving donated goods (if applicable).

1.7 Repair of professional and technical equipment and means.

1.8 Organizing periodic evaluations of the implementation of professional objectives of each target.

1.9 Hiring domestic and foreign experts and expert offices (if applicable).

1.10 Awards.

1.11 Scientific research linked to the content of the target.

1.12 Counterpart capital expenditures within the country for projects funded by foreign loans under the NHP.

1.13 Other expenditures.

2. Direct expenditure items for each target of the NHP

In addition to the common expenditure items mentioned above, each target also receives specific expenditure items as follows:

2.1 Expenditure items of the Malaria Prevention and Control Target (MPC)

2.1.1 Purchase of antimalarial drugs; supporting drugs (including common antibiotics, anti-diarrheal drugs, pain relievers, fever reducers, vitamin B1, C, multivitamins).

2.1.2 Purchase of mosquito control chemicals and testing chemicals.

2.1.3 Purchase of spraying equipment, insect investigation equipment, microscopes, and testing equipment.

2.1.4 Purchase of bed nets provided to poor malaria-endemic areas.

2.1.5 Expenditure for malaria epidemic surveillance.

2.1.6 Training allowances for malaria prevention and control station staff, village health workers in high-risk malaria areas, mobile malaria prevention and control teams, staff conducting night mosquito captures, and those directly involved in chemical spraying.

2.1.7 Expenditure for malaria epidemic prevention and assistance in mitigating the consequences of natural disasters in malaria-endemic areas.

2.2 Expenditure items of the Iodine Deficiency Disorders Prevention Target

2.2.1 Purchase of treatment drugs and preventive chemicals for iodine deficiency disorders.

2.2.2 Subsidies for the mixing and transportation of iodized salt according to the current state regulations to ensure that the price of iodized salt does not exceed the price of white salt on the same market in localities.

2.2.3 Purchase of packaging materials for iodized salt.

2.2.4 Payment for testing the quantitative levels of iodized salt and urinary iodine, and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH).

2.2.5 Allowances for staff collecting salt iodine samples, blood samples, and urine samples from households.

2.2.6 Payment for interviewers, epidemiological supervisors, data entry operators, analysis, and processing of data from survey rounds.

2.2.7 Purchase of specialized ultrasound machines for thyroid glands, urinary iodine quantification machines, TSH quantification machines, and accompanying accessories to equip iodine deficiency disorder prevention centers and stations in provinces and cities.

2.3 Expenditure items of the Expanded Immunization Program (EIP) Target

2.3.1 Purchase, receipt, storage, and transportation of vaccines to district and commune levels to serve the EIP.

2.3.2 Purchase of equipment and tools for vaccine storage and transportation, immunization tools, and disinfection tools used in EIP activities.

2.3.3 Investigation, assessment, and epidemiological surveillance of diseases, quality and safety assessment of immunizations, and promotion of service quality.

2.3.4 Training allowances for staff involved in immunization, disease control, investigations, verification of cases under the EIP, sample collection, storage, and transportation of specimens.

2.3.5 Hiring labor to serve EIP activities.

2.4 Expenditure items of the Tuberculosis Prevention Target

2.4.1 Purchase, receipt, storage, and transportation of tuberculosis treatment drugs and tuberculin to ward and commune levels.

2.4.2 Purchase, receipt, storage, mixing, and transportation of testing chemicals to provincial and district levels.

2.4.3 Purchase, receipt, storage, and transportation of microscopes, safety slides, glass slides, sputum cups, X-ray machines, X-ray films, gloves, masks, protective clothing, and testing equipment for provincial, district, and commune levels.

2.4.4 Training allowances for staff conducting regular and follow-up examinations, drug distribution, and patient monitoring at district, urban district, and commune levels.

2.4.5 Epidemiological surveillance, disease situation assessment.

2.5 Expenditure items of the Leprosy Prevention Target

2.5.1 Purchase of drugs and chemicals for leprosy detection and treatment work.

2.5.2 Purchase of specialized medical equipment for leprosy detection and rehabilitation of patients.

2.5.3 Epidemiological surveillance, assessment, and disease situation monitoring.

2.5.4 Surgical treatment for leprosy patients with deformities and provision of essential items such as orthopedic shoes, sandals, crutches, splints, prosthetic limbs for functional recovery.

2.5.5 Allowance for medical staff and volunteers directly involved in the work of detecting, distributing medications, treating leprosy patients, and caring for deformed patients at home.

2.6 Contents of expenditures under the Target of Upgrading Medical Equipment (ME) for hospitals

2.6.1 Purchase of medical equipment listed in the standard ME catalog applicable to hospitals at all levels, issued pursuant to Decision No. 1419/BYT-QĐ dated August 23, 1996 of the Ministry of Health.

2.6.2 Purchase of hospital interior equipment including patient transport elevators, patient beds, medicine cabinets, bedside cabinets, various types of carts...

2.6.3 Purchase of patient transport equipment including ambulances, stretchers, patient and disabled person transport vehicles...

2.6.4 Purchase of oxygen generation, laundry, sterilization, hospital waste processing, air conditioning for machine preservation, dehumidifiers, diagnostic equipment such as overhead projectors, slides...

2.6.5 Import fees for ME and taxes (if applicable).

2.6.6 Costs for repairing and completing rooms housing machines requiring strict preservation conditions such as: X-ray, radiation therapy equipment, and other highly accurate medical machines.

2.6.7 Technical consultancy costs for specialized ME in assessing the quality of ME during procurement.

2.6.8 Random and periodic calibration of the quality of currently used ME; training of personnel managing ME quality; surveys to develop plans for upgrading ME.

3. The level of expenditure for certain special contents of the Targets under the National Health Care Program is stipulated as follows: (Annex attached to this Circular).

B. WORK OF ESTABLISHING BUDGETS, ISSUING FUNDS, ACCOUNTING AND SETTLEMENT

The sources of funds for the National Health Care Program are managed, budgeted, issued, and settled according to the provisions of Decision No. 531/TTg dated August 8, 1996 of the Prime Minister on Managing National Programs, Joint Circular No. 06 TT/LBKH-TC dated April 29, 1997 of the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Finance guiding the implementation of Decision No. 531/TTg, Circular No. 09 TC/NSNN dated March 18, 1997 of the Ministry of Finance guiding the implementation of the decentralization, establishment, execution, and settlement of the state budget, Decision No. 999-TC/QĐ/CĐKT dated November 2, 1996 of the Minister of Finance promulgating the System of Accounting Regulations for Administrative and Public Services, and Decision No. 144 BYT/QĐ dated January 31, 1997 of the Ministry of Health promulgating the System of Accounting Regulations for Health Services.

III. IMPLEMENTATION PROVISIONS

This Circular takes effect from July 1, 1997. Previous regulations that conflict with the provisions of this Circular are abolished. The funds to implement this Circular are arranged within the 1997 budget already allocated by the State. The Ministry of Finance and Health will supplement and amend this Circular after receiving formal approval from the Government regarding the National Program.

ANNEX

REGARDING THE LEVEL OF EXPENDITURE FOR CERTAIN SPECIAL CONTENTS OF THE TARGETS UNDER THE NATIONAL HEALTH CARE PROGRAM ISSUED WITH JOINT MINISTERIAL CIRCULAR NO. 72/TTLB ON OCTOBER 14, 1997 OF THE MINISTRIES OF FINANCE AND HEALTH