Hanoi,(VNA) - The Ministry of Health plans to look intohealth check-ups and treatments offered at public hospitals this year so as toensure equal fees are charged at all facilities.

Theministry will also inspect tenders and purchases of medicines, medicalequipment and materials at the National Hospital of Odonto and Stomotology inHCM City, National Institute of Ophthalmology in Hanoi and Vietnam-Sweden UongBi Hospital in northern Quang Ninh province.

Nextweek, the health and finance ministries will meet to discuss a draft circularon the framework of health check-up and treatment costs at public hospitals.The circular is scheduled to be issued in the first quarter of this year toavoid differences in check-up fees at different hospitals.

Asper the draft circular, the proposed cost of a health check-up service will notexceed 200,000 VND (9 USD) each time, and specific conditions will be set forrequired health check-ups. Currently, the fee for health check-ups at centralhospitals nationwide range from 150,000 VND (7 USD) to 690,000 VND (31 USD) pertime.

Thedraft circular also sets the highest fee per day for a room with one bed at 2.4million VND (107 USD). The lowest price for a room with four beds is 600,000VND (27 USD) per day.

Thecircular aims to ensure that facilities and equipment at hospitals are in syncwith the fees patients pay and avoid situations where patients have to sharebeds even as unused beds are being offered for a fee.

Theministry’s inspection plan also includes public injection centres in Hanoi.-VNA